1981 Formula One World Championship

Non-championship race: South Africa

The South African Grand Prix, held on 7 February at the Kyalami Circuit near Johannesburg, was originally supposed to be the first round of the 1981 Formula One World Championship – but it was eventually stripped of its championship status. The ongoing FISA–FOCA war resulted in Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile (FISA) insisting on a date change which was not acceptable to the race organisers. Approval was ultimately given for the race to go ahead on its original date but as a Formula Libre race rather than as a round of the Formula One World Championship. The downgraded race was supported by the Formula One Constructors Association (FOCA) aligned teams but not by the teams of the manufacturers, whose allegiances lay with FISA. This race was run with the cars running in 1980-specification trim, with the ground-effect wing cars of the time, equipped with sliding skirts that increased their downforce by ensuring the air under the car did not escape from under the car, where the most important airflow was. This race, run in wet conditions, was won by the Argentine driver Carlos Reutemann in a Williams-Ford.

Race 1: United States West

The first of two rounds in the United States of America started a trilogy of F1 races in the Americas on March 15 at the Long Beach street circuit in southern California, just outside the metropolis of Los Angeles. The cars were now running in new 1981-specification cars, with the sliding skirts now banned and cars required to have a 6 cm ground clearance, in order to reduce downforce. Australian Alan Jones won this race in a Williams-Ford after pole-sitter Riccardo Patrese in an Arrows-Ford fell out and Jones's teammate Carlos Reutemann made a costly error that Jones took advantage of.

Race 2: Brazil

The Formula One circus moved from North to South America to start a two-stop tour there. The first round was at the Jacarepagua Autodrome in Rio de Janeiro – only the second time F1 had been there. F1 had previously visited the 5-mile Interlagos circuit in São Paulo in 1972–1980; this circuit was effectively dropped after 1980 because of safety issues with the circuit and the growing slums around the circuit being at odds with Formula One's glamorous image. This rain-soaked race saw Reutemann disobey team orders to let Jones through, and a furious Jones did not appear on the podium afterwards.

Race 3: Argentina

The other half of the South American tour in Reutemann's home country of Argentina was usually held in January; this time it was in April. This race was a procession: at the varied circuit located in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires, Brabham designer Gordon Murray had come up with a hydraulic suspension to get his BT49C closer to the ground, and therefore be faster. This proved effective – as Brabham driver Nelson Piquet took pole ahead of French up-and-comer Alain Prost and the two Williams drivers, he and Mexican teammate Héctor Rebaque dominated the race, driving a car that was embarrassingly superior to all the others. The Brazilian won handily from home favorite Reutemann and Renault driver Prost. Due to internal politics and the drivers' strike at the 1982 South African Grand Prix, the Argentine GP would not return to the calendar until 1995.

Race 4: San Marino (Imola, Italy)

Four weeks later, the GP circus returned to Europe to start the 4 month long tour there. The first race was a new race – a second Italian race called the San Marino Grand Prix at the Autodromo Dino Ferrari near Imola, just outside Bologna. Unlike the South American races, both of which had been uncommon disappointments; the inaugural San Marino GP was an exciting race all the way through. Brazilian Nelson Piquet won again for Brabham in changing conditions, with intermittent rain soaking the course throughout the race.

Race 5: Belgium

In stark contrast to San Marino, the Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder was a shambolic event filled with tragedies and frustration. Politics dominated this event – Gordon Murray's hydraulic suspension gave his Brabhams considerable performance advantages, and the teams had been heavily protesting the system's legality within the revised rules for the season. The tragedy, however, started with Carlos Reutemann accidentally running over an Osella mechanic, Giovanni Amadeo – who died of a fractured skull the Monday after the race. The race, however, was an appalling embarrassment by top motor racing standards – at the start, there was a drivers' strike concerning mechanic and team personnel safety – which delayed the start. And when the race started, an Arrows mechanic, Dave Luckett, jumped onto the grid just as the lights went green in an attempt to start Riccardo Patrese's stalled car. Luckett was run over by the other Arrows driver, Sigfried Stohr – and as Luckett laid sprawled unconscious on the track with broken legs, the marshals were able to get him off the track, and the disorganization continued: as the drivers started their second lap with both Arrows cars still on the narrow start–finish straight, a number of marshals jumped onto the track – mere feet from the cars going at full racing speeds – and attempted to stop the race by waving at the drivers to stop, without the approval of the clerk of the course (who is the ultimate authority on the race's direction). The drivers continued on – because they had not been shown the red flag by the clerk of the course. But by the time they completed another lap, they decided to stop themselves without the clerk's approval. In the meantime, Luckett was taken to hospital, and survived. So the second race started, and Alan Jones took the lead, crashed out, Nelson Piquet also crashed out and Carlos Reutemann took the chequered flag after it was decided to call the race early.

Race 6: Monaco

The historic Monaco Grand Prix was the scene of an ultra-exciting race – as Piquet led for most of the race distance, and crashed out at Tabac. Jones took the lead, but had fuel feed problems, and Gilles Villeneuve in a poor-handling Ferrari took the lead and won.

Race 7: Spain

The narrow and tight Jarama circuit just outside Madrid produced one of the best races of the year: after Jones crashed out, Reutemann took the lead, and then Villeneuve overtook Reutemann on the main straight at Jarama. Villeneuve, in a powerful but very ill-handling Ferrari, managed to keep 4 better-handling cars behind him in a car badly suited to the slow, narrow and twisty Jarama circuit. Villeneuve, Jacques Laffite, John Watson, Reutemann and Elio de Angelis were all separated by 1.2 seconds at the finish. The small crowd, the inappropriately very hot time of year this race was held in and the waning interest of the organizers caused this race to be the last Spanish Grand Prix until 1986, when it was moved south to the new Jerez circuit near Seville.

Race 8: France

The alternating French Grand Prix moved from the Paul Ricard circuit near Marseille to the fast, sweeping Prenois circuit near Dijon, located in the Burgundy countryside. This race was run as two races: it was interrupted by heavy rain, so the organizers decided to stop the race to wait for the rain to pass, which it did – and Alain Prost, who was to become one of the greatest drivers in Formula One history, won his first of 51 championship Grands Prix at home in a Renault.

Race 9: Britain

The British Grand Prix was held at the flat Silverstone circuit this year, which was the fastest Grand Prix circuit in the world at the time. The grid was dominated by four turbos, the two Renaults of Alain Prost and René Arnoux, and the two Ferraris of Gilles Villeneuve and Didier Pironi, and during the race (which was on a Saturday), Prost effectively walked away from the field and dominated most of the race. At the start of lap 5, near the Woodcote chicane, Villeneuve lost control, taking out Alan Jones (Williams) and Andrea de Cesaris (McLaren) who were both unable to avoid the Canadian, while Briton John Watson, in the other McLaren, narrowly missed the wreckage. On lap 12, Nelson Piquet, who was 3rd at that point, crashed his Brabham, and had to be carried by an ambulance due to leg injuries. Later in the race, Prost was forced to pit due to problems with an engine plug that could not be replaced without dismantling much of the car, forcing the Frenchman to retire and leaving his teammate, Arnoux, in the lead. Arnoux, however, also had problems in the last laps of the race, losing his turbo, which forced him to retire and allowed Watson to take the win from Reutemann and Laffite.

Race 10: Germany

The German Grand Prix at the fast Hockenheimring produced a long battle between Alain Prost and Alan Jones, until Jones passed Prost in the stadium section, after a mistake by Prost's teammate, René Arnoux, who was being lapped, and allowed the Australian to slip by both Renaults. Nelson Piquet also found his way past Alain Prost, and took the lead after Alan Jones was forced to pit. It started to rain in the last laps of the race, but Piquet won with a comfortable lead over Prost, in 2nd, and Jacques Laffite, in 3rd.

Race 11: Austria

The high-altitude and fast Österreichring enabled turbo-powered cars to take the first three places in qualifying, with René Arnoux on pole from Renault teammate Alain Prost, and Gilles Villeneuve third in the Ferrari. Villeneuve made a fast start to lead briefly, but went off on the second lap, leaving Prost and Arnoux to pull away while Didier Pironi in the second Ferrari held up the rest of the pack. Eventually, Jacques Laffite got past Pironi and closed up to the Renaults. Prost led until his suspension failed; Arnoux then led until Laffite overtook him with 15 laps remaining. Laffite thus took the win with Arnoux second and Piquet third; Reutemann was fifth, meaning that his lead in the Drivers' Championship was now down to six points.

Race 12: Holland

The Zandvoort circuit near Amsterdam provided Prost with his second win of the year, ahead of Piquet and Jones. Reutemann and Laffite took each other out on lap 18, meaning that Piquet now led the Drivers' Championship by virtue of having more wins than Reutemann. In a race of attrition, only ten cars were classified at the end, with Chilean rookie Eliseo Salazar finishing sixth in an Ensign and thus scoring his first point in Formula One.

Race 13: Italy

The second Italian and last European race of the year, the Italian Grand Prix, returned to the historic Monza circuit just outside Milan after a year's stay at Imola. Prost won again, with Jones and Reutemann finishing second and third respectively to effectively seal the Constructors' Championship for Williams. Piquet was running third on the last lap when his engine blew, dropping him to sixth and thus putting Reutemann back into the lead in the Drivers' Championship by three points.

Race 14: Canada

The season concluded with two races in North America, the first of these being in Montreal, Canada. In a wet, cold race, Jones and Prost both retired, while Reutemann collided with Jones early on and eventually finished tenth. Laffite took the win, with Watson second and Villeneuve third; fifth for Piquet put him just one point behind Reutemann in the Drivers' Championship going into the final race, with Laffite five points further back.

Race 15: Caesars Palace (United States)

New York State's Watkins Glen circuit was struck off the calendar in May due to bankruptcy of the company running the circuit, resulting in a three-week gap between the Canadian Grand Prix and a new American race that would require the teams to move across the country to a circuit located in a car park outside of the Caesar's Palace hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, effectively named the Caesar's Palace Grand Prix, only 350 miles from Long Beach/Los Angeles. Reutemann took pole position, but made a poor start in the race and eventually finished out of the points in eighth, while Laffite could only manage sixth and Piquet battled to fifth – which was enough for the Brazilian driver to win the championship by one point from Reutemann. Jones' final drive with Williams ended with the 12th and final win of his career in this difficult and demanding race, which caused Piquet to vomit over himself in the cockpit.

Grands Prix

Rnd	Race	Date	Location	Pole Position	Fastest Lap	Race Winner	Constructor	Report
1	United States Grand Prix West	15 March	Long Beach	Riccardo Patrese	Alan Jones	Alan Jones	Williams-Ford	Report
2	Brazilian Grand Prix	29 March	Jacarepaguá	Nelson Piquet	Marc Surer	Carlos Reutemann	Williams-Ford	Report
3	Argentine Grand Prix	12 April	Buenos Aires	Nelson Piquet	Nelson Piquet	Nelson Piquet	Brabham-Ford	Report
4	San Marino Grand Prix	3 May	Imola	Gilles Villeneuve	Gilles Villeneuve	Nelson Piquet	Brabham-Ford	Report
5	Belgian Grand Prix	17 May	Zolder	Carlos Reutemann	Carlos Reutemann	Carlos Reutemann	Williams-Ford	Report
6	Monaco Grand Prix	31 May	Monaco	Nelson Piquet	Alan Jones	Gilles Villeneuve	Ferrari	Report
7	Spanish Grand Prix	21 June	Jarama	Jacques Laffite	Alan Jones	Gilles Villeneuve	Ferrari	Report
8	French Grand Prix	5 July	Dijon-Prenois	René Arnoux	Alain Prost	Alain Prost	Renault	Report
9	British Grand Prix	18 July	Silverstone	René Arnoux	René Arnoux	John Watson	McLaren-Ford	Report
10	German Grand Prix	2 August	Hockenheimring	Alain Prost	Alan Jones	Nelson Piquet	Brabham-Ford	Report
11	Austrian Grand Prix	16 August	Österreichring	René Arnoux	Jacques Laffite	Jacques Laffite	Ligier-Matra	Report
12	Dutch Grand Prix	30 August	Zandvoort	Alain Prost	Alan Jones	Alain Prost	Renault	Report
13	Italian Grand Prix	13 September	Monza	René Arnoux	Carlos Reutemann	Alain Prost	Renault	Report
14	Canadian Grand Prix	27 September	Île Notre-Dame	Nelson Piquet	John Watson	Jacques Laffite	Ligier-Matra	Report
15	Caesars Palace Grand Prix	17 October	Caesars Palace	Carlos Reutemann	Didier Pironi	Alan Jones	Williams-Ford	Report

World Drivers' Championship – final standings

Pos Driver USW BRA ARG SMR BEL MON ESP FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA CAN CPL Points 1 Nelson Piquet 3 12 1 1 Ret Ret Ret 3 Ret 1 3 2 6 5 5 50 2 Carlos Reutemann 2 1 2 3 1 Ret 4 10 2 Ret 5 Ret 3 10 8 49 3 Alan Jones 1 2 4 12 Ret 2 7 17 Ret 11 4 3 2 Ret 1 46 4 Jacques Laffite Ret 6 Ret Ret 2 3 2 Ret 3 3 1 Ret Ret 1 6 44 5 Alain Prost Ret Ret 3 Ret Ret Ret Ret 1 Ret 2 Ret 1 1 Ret 2 43 6 John Watson Ret 8 Ret 10 7 Ret 3 2 1 6 6 Ret Ret 2 7 27 7 Gilles Villeneuve Ret Ret Ret 7 4 1 1 Ret Ret 10 Ret Ret Ret 3 DSQ 25 8 Elio de Angelis Ret 5 6 WD 5 Ret 5 6 DSQ 7 7 5 4 6 Ret 14 9 René Arnoux 8 Ret 5 8 DNQ Ret 9 4 9 13 2 Ret Ret Ret Ret 11 10 Héctor Rebaque Ret Ret Ret 4 Ret DNQ Ret 9 5 4 Ret 4 Ret Ret Ret 11 11 Riccardo Patrese Ret 3 7 2 Ret Ret Ret 14 10 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 11 10 12 Eddie Cheever 5 NC Ret Ret 6 5 NC 13 4 5 DNQ Ret Ret 12 Ret 10 13 Didier Pironi Ret Ret Ret 5 8 4 15 5 Ret Ret 9 Ret 5 Ret 9 9 14 Nigel Mansell Ret 11 Ret WD 3 Ret 6 7 DNQ Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 4 8 15 Bruno Giacomelli Ret NC 10 Ret 9 Ret 10 15 Ret 15 Ret Ret 8 4 3 7 16 Marc Surer Ret 4 Ret 9 11 6 12 11 14 Ret 8 DNQ 9 Ret 4 17 Mario Andretti 4 Ret 8 Ret 10 Ret 8 8 Ret 9 Ret Ret Ret 7 Ret 3 18 Andrea de Cesaris Ret Ret 11 6 Ret Ret Ret 11 Ret Ret 8 DNS 7 Ret 12 1 19 Patrick Tambay 6 10 Ret 11 DNQ 7 13 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 1 20 Slim Borgudd 13 DNQ DNPQ DNQ DNQ 6 Ret Ret 10 Ret Ret DNQ 1 21 Eliseo Salazar DNQ DNQ DNQ Ret DNQ DNPQ 14 Ret DNQ NC Ret 6 Ret Ret NC 1 — Jean-Pierre Jarier Ret 7 8 8 10 Ret 9 Ret Ret 0 — Siegfried Stohr DNQ Ret 9 DNQ Ret Ret Ret DNQ Ret 12 Ret 7 DNQ 0 — Derek Daly DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNPQ 16 Ret 7 Ret 11 Ret Ret 8 DNQ 0 — Chico Serra 7 Ret Ret DNQ Ret DNQ 11 DNS DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 0 — Keke Rosberg Ret 9 Ret Ret Ret DNQ 12 Ret Ret DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 10 0 — Michele Alboreto Ret 12 Ret DNQ 16 Ret DNQ Ret 9 Ret 11 13 0 — Brian Henton DNQ DNQ DNPQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 10 DNQ DNQ 0 — Jan Lammers Ret DNQ 12 DNQ 0 — Ricardo Zunino 13 13 0 — Piercarlo Ghinzani 13 DNQ 0 — Jean-Pierre Jabouille DNQ NC Ret DNQ Ret 0 — Beppe Gabbiani Ret DNQ DNQ Ret Ret DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 0 — Derek Warwick DNQ DNQ DNPQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ Ret 0 — Miguel Angel Guerra DNQ DNQ DNQ Ret 0 — Jacques Villeneuve, Sr. DNQ DNQ 0 — Kevin Cogan DNQ 0 — Giorgio Francia DNQ 0 — Ricardo Londoño DNP 0 Pos Driver USW BRA ARG SMR BEL MON ESP FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA CAN CPL Points

Key Colour Result Gold Winner Silver 2nd place Bronze 3rd place Green Other points position Blue Other classified position Not classified, finished (NC) Purple Not classified, retired (Ret) Red Did not qualify (DNQ) Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ) Black Disqualified (DSQ) White Did not start (DNS) Race cancelled (C) Blank Did not practice (DNP) Excluded (EX) Did not arrive (DNA) Withdrawn (WD) Bold – Pole position Italics – Fastest lap

Championship points were awarded on a 9–6–4–3–2–1 basis to the top six finishers in each race.^[3]

World Constructors' Championship – final standings

Williams won the 1981 Constructors' Championship with the FW07C

Brabham placed second in the Constructors' Championship with the BT49C

Renault placed third in the Constructors' Championship with the RE30

Pos	Constructor	Car no.	USW	BRA	ARG	SMR	BEL	MON	ESP	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	NED	ITA	CAN	CPL	Pts
1	Williams-Ford	1	1	2	4	12	Ret	2	7	17	Ret	11	4	3	2	Ret	1	95
		2	2	1	2	3	1	Ret	4	10	2	Ret	5	Ret	3	10	8
2	Brabham-Ford	5	3	12	1	1	Ret	Ret	Ret	3	Ret	1	3	2	6	5	5	61
		6	Ret	Ret	Ret	4	Ret	DNQ	Ret	9	5	4	Ret	4	Ret	Ret	Ret
3	Renault	15	Ret	Ret	3	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	1	Ret	2	Ret	1	1	Ret	2	54
		16	8	Ret	5	8	DNQ	Ret	9	4	9	13	2	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret
4	Ligier-Matra	25	Ret	7	DNQ	NC	Ret	DNQ	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	44
		26	Ret	6	Ret	Ret	2	3	2	Ret	3	3	1	Ret	Ret	1	6
5	Ferrari	27	Ret	Ret	Ret	7	4	1	1	Ret	Ret	10	Ret	Ret	Ret	3	DSQ	34
		28	Ret	Ret	Ret	5	8	4	15	5	Ret	Ret	9	Ret	5	Ret	9
6	McLaren-Ford	7	Ret	8	Ret	10	7	Ret	3	2	1	6	6	Ret	Ret	2	7	28
		8	Ret	Ret	11	6	Ret	Ret	Ret	11	Ret	Ret	8	DNS	7	Ret	12
7	Lotus-Ford	11	Ret	5	6	WD	5	Ret	5	6	DSQ	7	7	5	4	6	Ret	22
		12	Ret	11	Ret	WD	3	Ret	6	7	DNQ	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	4
8	Arrows-Ford	29	Ret	3	7	2	Ret	Ret	Ret	14	10	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	11	10
		30	DNQ	Ret	9	DNQ	Ret	Ret	Ret	DNQ	Ret	12	Ret	7	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ
9	Alfa Romeo	22	4	Ret	8	Ret	10	Ret	8	8	Ret	9	Ret	Ret	Ret	7	Ret	10
		23	Ret	NC	10	Ret	9	Ret	10	15	Ret	15	Ret	Ret	8	4	3
10	Tyrrell-Ford	3	5	NC	Ret	Ret	6	5	NC	13	4	5	DNQ	Ret	Ret	12	Ret	10
		4	DNQ	13	13	Ret	12	Ret	DNQ	16	Ret	DNQ	Ret	9	Ret	11	13
11	Ensign-Ford	14	Ret	4	Ret	9	11	6	14	Ret	DNQ	NC	Ret	6	Ret	Ret	NC	5
12	Theodore-Ford	33	6	10	Ret	11	DNQ	7	13	12	11	14	Ret	8	DNQ	9	Ret	1
13	ATS-Ford	9	Ret	DNQ	12	DNQ	DNQ	DNPQ	DNQ	DNQ	6	Ret	Ret	10	Ret	Ret	DNQ	1
		10				13
—	March-Ford	17	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	Ret	DNQ	DNPQ	16	Ret	7	Ret	11	Ret	Ret	8	DNQ	0
		18	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNPQ
—	Fittipaldi-Ford	20	Ret	9	Ret	Ret	Ret	DNQ	12	Ret	Ret	DNQ		DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	10	0
		21	7	Ret	Ret	DNQ	Ret	DNQ	11	DNS	DNQ	DNQ		DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ
—	Osella-Ford	31	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	Ret	13	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	0
		32	Ret	DNQ	DNQ	Ret	Ret	DNQ	DNQ	WD	8	8	10	Ret	9	Ret	Ret
—	Toleman-Hart	35				DNQ	DNQ	DNPQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	10	DNQ	DNQ	0
		36				DNQ	DNQ	DNPQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	Ret
Pos	Constructor	Car no.	USW	BRA	ARG	SMR	BEL	MON	ESP	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	NED	ITA	CAN	CPL	Pts

Championship points were awarded on a 9–6–4–3–2–1 basis to the top six finishers in each race.^[3]

Non-championship race results

A non-Championship Formula One race was also held in 1981, which did not count towards the World Championship. It was technically a Formula Libre race, since the cars did not conform to the current Formula One regulations. Although not a part of the Championship, the 1981 South African Grand Prix attracted high-calibre drivers and cars and was won by Carlos Reutemann in a Williams.

Race Name	Circuit	Date	Winning driver	Constructor	Report
South African Grand Prix	Kyalami	7 February	Carlos Reutemann	Williams-Ford	Report