Stewart's Debut Season | Round 8: French Grand Prix Qualifying | Formula 1 '97 (PS1)

1997 was a year of change in Formula 1. We had the reigning World Champion racing for a backmarker, a GOAT PS1 game being released which still holds up today, and TWO brand new teams joining the grid in Mastercard Lola and Stewart Grand Prix.

One of these teams was more successful than the other, with Lola burning out so quickly that the didn't make the game...or even start a race! However, for those who don't know, the team we now know as Red Bull Racing got their start on the grid as Stewart Grand Prix all the way back in 1997. Drivers like Jan Magunssen, Johnny Herbert and, yes, Jos Verstappen, walked so Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen could run!

However, despite the advantage they had over their fellow rookie team, Stewart struggled in 1997 with only 8 finishes between both drivers and 9 Double DNFs in 17 races. So, in this series, we try to give Stewart a debut season more befitting of a team that would go on to much bigger and better things in the near and distant future, by taking the one and only Rubens Barrichello through the 1997 season in Formula 1 '97 for the Playstation.

After an impressive performance, with an unfortunate ending, at the Canadian Grand Prix last time out, we head back to Europe and Magny-Cours for the French Grand Prix. Whilst we are showing signs of improvement, Magny-Cours has always been a difficult track for me so who knows how the weekend will go, but it will certainly go a lot better with a good performance in qualifying!

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