Today is an historical day

Kirk · 26 Oct 2005, 15:40 (Ref:1444059)

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To many, October 26 1997 - exactly eight years ago - was and will remain one of the most remarkable days in F1 history.
A day earlier, first, second and third on the grid for the European grand prix at Jerez - Jacques Villeneuve, Michael Schumacher and Heinz-Harald Frentzen - had posted identical times in qualifying.

--------------------------

Of course, most everyone will remember that (in)famous race but I had forgotten about the identical qualifying times. Has that ever happened before or after? I doubt it.

This link has more details, in case you did forget the race:
http://www.paddocktalk.com/news/html...catid=&topic=8

ASCII Man · 26 Oct 2005, 15:43 (Ref:1444062)

It happens more than you'd think, but mainly further back on the grid.

Logrence · 26 Oct 2005, 15:47 (Ref:1444064)

Actually it was because the timing system broke and kept recording the same time for the last three people over the line.

Who'd want to tell the truth, though? It's much more exciting the other way.

Race day was far more interesting, though

Kirk · 26 Oct 2005, 15:52 (Ref:1444067)

I didn't know that Logrence.
Sorry, I posted the wrong link.
http://www.f1i.com/index.php?option=...1788&Itemid=32

maltafan · 26 Oct 2005, 15:57 (Ref:1444072)

I think there was another similar thing when D Hill, COulthard & someone else qualified within 0.001 of a sec, but I am not sure about it.

Kicking-back · 26 Oct 2005, 16:14 (Ref:1444085)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Logrence

Actually it was because the timing system broke and kept recording the same time for the last three people over the line.

Not true - there are telemetry graphs from Williams which corroborate it - and an analysis of the video would be able to do the same.

**Adam43** · 26 Oct 2005, 17:33 (Ref:1444139)

and those three drivers weren't consecutively across the line.

Marbot · 26 Oct 2005, 17:35 (Ref:1444143)

And if IRC,DH was just fractionally behind those three.

Knowlesy · 26 Oct 2005, 18:15 (Ref:1444212)

Yer, Damon was less than a tenth away from them I think!

Great quali session that was.......still, some will say it was setup. Rubbish. It was just pure class.

Dutton · 26 Oct 2005, 18:49 (Ref:1444273)

I blame Ferrari.

Marbot · 26 Oct 2005, 18:53 (Ref:1444281)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutton

I blame Ferrari.

Not until the day after.

Louis B. · 26 Oct 2005, 19:12 (Ref:1444312)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ASCII Man

It happens more than you'd think, but mainly further back on the grid.

I don't think there was ever three cars with the same time within the same thousand of a second as at Jerez. I do remember one occasion when you had two cars with the same time, but not three cars. Can anyone else shed more light on this point?

Dutton · 26 Oct 2005, 19:27 (Ref:1444326)

HHF, Jacques and Michael all set the same time to the thousandth of a second at Jerez 1997.

Louis B. · 26 Oct 2005, 19:59 (Ref:1444369)

I know but was there any other occasion in f1 history?

djinvicta · 26 Oct 2005, 20:26 (Ref:1444400)

Yes; I believe in Austria, but dont know who or when; within 15 years though Im sure; just triggers a memory. Anyone else know?

Nintendo · 26 Oct 2005, 21:09 (Ref:1444450)

Yeah, i forgot about that. Twas a good race too as i remember....except for THAT incident.

BootsOntheSide · 26 Oct 2005, 21:42 (Ref:1444503)

I think the conspiracy theory was that, because there was a problem with the timing system early in the session, the computer jammed and became incapable of registering a faster time - JV's time was set earlier, and Michael and HHF were both faster at the second split before failing to beat the time.

The msot recent time I can remember of 2 cars setting identical times was Button and JPM in Melbourne 2004, before that it was Brazil 2003 - ironically Frentzen was one of the drivers involved, Panis being the other.

Jordi · 26 Oct 2005, 22:16 (Ref:1444540)

It happens so often that on that same race, Jerez 1997, on lap 21, Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve set the same lap time. Not on different laps, but both drivers' lap 21 was 1:24.773.

Gerben24 · 27 Oct 2005, 08:08 (Ref:1444820)

Didn't Jerez have the closest finish ever as well? Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell, 100th of a second or something like that! That was until the MS-RB-Indy farce a couple of years ago...

Louis B. · 27 Oct 2005, 13:59 (Ref:1445104)

If yesterday was the anniversery of Jerez 1997 qualifying day, today too must be historic then considering that a world champion contender then tried to win a title for a second time by voluntarily attempting to take out the other contender on the last race of the season. IIRC, the Senna / Prost episodes were different in that they each used that trick only once. Any other similar precedents?

I also don't think we were ever told the truth by MS as to why he tried that the second time. I haven't watched that great race for a while but I recall that MS' pace was suddenly significantly slower after the last pit stop. Did he have a problem with his car. Was he taken by surprise by JV's move at the very first overtaking occasion he had?

Nintendo · 27 Oct 2005, 18:01 (Ref:1445340)

Yeah, Schumacher at his worst.

Joe Taylor · 29 Oct 2005, 21:54 (Ref:1447072)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutton

I blame Ferrari.

I thought everything was the fault of a combination of Ferrari, the FIA and Villeneuve

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