The B197 addressed some of the handling issues that had frustrated Alesi and Berger with the B196, which both drivers had found difficult to drive to its potential. Built around a Renault V10 engine, the car proved competitive across a wide range of circuits, though it suffered from a recurring weakness: an inability to bring its tyres up to operating temperature quickly on low-grip tracks, particularly in qualifying sessions. This compromised grid positions and limited the car's race results on certain surfaces.
The B197 carried the distinction of being the last Benetton Formula 1 car to use fully-fledged Renault engines until the B201 in 2001, following Renault's repositioning toward a privatisation strategy that would see engine supply restructured in subsequent years.
The B197 was broadly competitive at most venues but converted that pace into only one victory. That win came at the German Grand Prix, where Berger returned to the cockpit after a three-race absence and won decisively, marking one of the emotional high points of his career. Alesi also secured a pole position during the season, as did Berger, giving the team two separate pole-sitters across the championship.
The mid-season was disrupted by Berger's withdrawal from three consecutive races due to sinus problems. Austrian compatriot Alexander Wurz, then 23 years old, made his Formula One debut as substitute at the Canadian Grand Prix and acquitted himself well enough that Benetton retained him for the following season. It was a significant moment in Wurz's development as a driver.
By the end of the year it was evident that Benetton would enter 1998 with an entirely new driver pairing. Berger retired from Formula One at the season's conclusion, and Alesi moved to Sauber. Their replacements would be Giancarlo Fisichella and Alexander Wurz.
At least one Benetton B197 chassis remained active in the BOSS GP — a series for historic and one-make single-seaters — after its Formula One career ended. To comply with series rules, the original Renault V10 was replaced with a Judd engine.
The B197 retained the white and blue colour scheme of its predecessor with the addition of red accents introduced by new sponsor Akai. FedEx and Gillette also joined the team's commercial portfolio during the season. The Mild Seven tobacco livery was suppressed at the French, British, and German Grands Prix due to local advertising restrictions.
The B197 represented Benetton's last genuinely competitive season before the team began its transition toward the Renault era. Its single victory at Hockenheim and Berger's comeback narrative gave it a memorable place in the team's history. Wurz's debut also planted the seed of a driver line-up that would carry Benetton through the next two difficult years.
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