There it was driven by Frenchman Jean Alesi and Austrian Gerhard Berger, who were both in their second season with the team.

However, Berger was forced to sit out three races in the middle of the season due to sinus problems, and compatriot Alexander Wurz made his F1 début by deputising for him, starting at the Canadian Grand Prix.

The B197 proved competitive at nearly every race, but only scored one win, courtesy of Berger on his return to the cockpit in Germany.

The main problem with the car was its inability to bring its tyres up to temperature on low-grip circuits, particularly in qualifying.

By the end of the season, it was clear that Benetton would adopt a new driver line-up for 1998, with Berger retiring and Alesi moving to Sauber.