Jacques Villeneuve set the pace again at the tests at Estoril (Portugal). He was almost a second faster than Williams' test-driver Boullion, 1m 21.33s, with a 1m 20.38s. Heinz-Harald Frentzen was surprisingly fast in the Sauber-Ford with a better time than Ferrari, Benetton and McLaren.

Jarno Trulli, now driving Formula Three, got his first appearance in a Formula One car, he was 15th and last in the Benetton with a time of 1m 25.61s.