 Fontana akaita kutanga kwake muFormula One pa1997 French Grand Prix achitsiva Gianni Morbidelli uyo akanga atyoka ruoko asati amhanya. Akakwanisa kuva wechi20 ndokubva arega basa apo akafamba asina kumira zvakanaka uye akapedzisira apinda mumatope. Pamberi peBritish GP, mukuru wechikwata Peter Sauber akatsvaga vatsva kuti vatore chigaro chaFontana asi pakupedzisira vakasarudza kuchengeta Fontana muchikwata. Munguva yokugadzirira, akapotsa chiedza chitsvuku chinoratidza kuti motokari inofanira kuuya nokuda kwokuongorora uremu hunomanikidzirwa. Fontana akapfuura nechiedza uye akamanikidzwa kutanga kumashure kwegiriniti. Munhangemutange yacho, Fontana akapedza ari wechipfumbamwe pasinei nokuti gumbo rake rokurudyi rakanga rava kunzwa. KuHockenheim, akatanga ari wechi18 uye akapedza ari wechi9 pasinei nokutanga kutenderera. 