Dallara F397

The Dallara F397 was the Formula Three chassis that Dallara fielded for the 1997 season. A larger air restrictor introduced that year was estimated to give about 30 BHP more engine power, so Dallara made a number of changes to the chassis. The car looked very much like its predecessor, but the aluminium honeycomb tub was considerably stiffened to cope with the extra power, and the front of the cockpit was lowered by 2 cm to give the driver a better view and some aerodynamic benefit. The water radiators were improved to give more cooling, which resulted in taller sidepods, while the wheelbase and track were unchanged. Dallara estimated a 15 percent increase in available downforce, and the 1997 price was around 45,000 pounds. F3 History records that every major championship and nearly every minor one fell to the F397 or one of its earlier brothers, with only the new Martini MK73 taking fourth place in both the French and German championships.