1981 Formula 1 World Champion

15 FULL 1981 F1 RACES ON 15 DVDS

BBC/ MURRAY WALKER

1	United States Grand Prix West	March 15	Long Beach	Alan Jones	Williams-Ford
2	Brazilian Grand Prix	March 29	Jacarepaguá	Carlos Reutemann	Williams-Ford
3	Argentine Grand Prix	April 12	Oscar Gálvez	Nelson Piquet	Brabham-Ford
4	San Marino Grand Prix	May 3	Imola	Nelson Piquet	Brabham-Ford
5	Belgian Grand Prix	May 17	Zolder	Carlos Reutemann	Williams-Ford
6	Monaco Grand Prix	May 31	Monaco	Gilles Villeneuve	Ferrari
7	Spanish Grand Prix	June 21	Jarama	Gilles Villeneuve	Ferrari
8	French Grand Prix	July 5	Dijon-Prenois	Alain Prost	Renault
9	British Grand Prix	July 18	Silverstone	John Watson	McLaren-Ford
10	German Grand Prix	August 2	Hockenheimring	Nelson Piquet	Brabham-Ford
11	Austrian Grand Prix	August 16	Österreichring	Jacques Laffite	Ligier-Matra
12	Dutch Grand Prix	August 30	Zandvoort	Alain Prost	Renault
13	Italian Grand Prix	September 13	Monza	Alain Prost	Renault
14	Canadian Grand Prix	September 27	Circuit Île Notre-Dame	Jacques Laffite	Ligier-Matra
15	Caesars Palace Grand Prix	October 17	Las Vegas	Alan Jones	Williams-Ford

1981 Formula One season

The Drivers' Championship was won by Nelson Piquet, who drove for the Brabham team.

The 1981 Formula One season included the 32nd FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on March 15, 1981, and ended on October 17 after fifteen races. Nelson Piquet won the Drivers' Championship, claiming the first of his three Formula One titles. 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.

Drivers and constructors

Entrant	Constructor	Chassis	Engine	Tyres	No	Driver
Albilad Williams Racing Team TAG Williams Racing Team	Williams	FW07C FW07D	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	M G	1	Alan Jones
					2	Carlos Reutemann
Tyrrell Racing Team	Tyrrell	010 011	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	M A G	3	Eddie Cheever
					4	Kevin Cogan
						Ricardo Zunino
						Michele Alboreto
Parmalat Racing Team	Brabham	BT49C BT50	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	M G	5	Nelson Piquet
					6	Hector Rebaque
Marlboro McLaren International	McLaren	M29F MP4/1	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	M	7	John Watson
					8	Andrea de Cesaris
Team ATS	ATS	D4 D5	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	A M	9	Jan Lammers
						Slim Borgudd
					10	Slim Borgudd
Team Essex Lotus John Player Team Lotus	Lotus	81B 87 88 88B	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	M G	11	Elio de Angelis
					12	Nigel Mansell
Ensign Racing	Ensign	N180B	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	A M	14	Marc Surer
						Ricardo Londoño
						Eliseo Salazar
Equipe Renault Elf	Renault	RS20B RS30	Renault-Gordini EF1 1.5 V6T	M	15	Alain Prost
					16	René Arnoux
March Grand Prix Team	March	811	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	A M	17	Derek Daly
						Eliseo Salazar
					18	Eliseo Salazar
						Derek Daly
Fittipaldi Automotive	Fittipaldi	F8C	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	M A P	20	Keke Rosberg
					21	Chico Serra
Marlboro Team Alfa Romeo	Alfa Romeo	179B 179C 179D	Alfa Romeo 1260 3.0 V12	M	22	Mario Andretti
					23	Bruno Giacomelli
Equipe Talbot Gitanes	Talbot-Ligier	JS17	Matra MS81 3.0 V12	M	25	Jean-Pierre Jarier
						Jean-Pierre Jabouille
						Patrick Tambay
					26	Jacques Laffite
Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC	Ferrari	126CK	Ferrari 021 1.5 V6T	M	27	Gilles Villeneuve
					28	Didier Pironi
Ragno Arrows Beta Racing Team	Arrows	A3	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	M P	29	Riccardo Patrese
					30	Siegfried Stohr
						Jacques Villeneuve
Osella Squadra Corse	Osella	FA1B FA1C	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	M	31	Miguel Angel Guerra
						Piercarlo Ghinzani
						Beppe Gabbiani
					32	Beppe Gabbiani
						Piercarlo Ghinzani
						Giorgio Francia
						Jean-Pierre Jarier
Theodore Racing Team	Theodore	TY01	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	A G	33	Patrick Tambay
						Marc Surer
Candy Toleman Motorsport	Toleman	TG181	Hart 415T 1.5 L4T	P	35	Brian Henton
					36	Derek Warwick

Season review

1981 Constructors Championship final standings

Place	Constructor	Chassis	Engine	Tyre	Points	Wins	Podiums	Poles
1	Williams-Ford	FW07B FW07C	Ford Cosworth DFV	M G	95	4	13	2
2	Brabham-Ford	BT49C	Ford Cosworth DFV	M G	61	3	7	4
3	Renault	RE20B RE30	Renault-Gordini EF1	M	54	3	7	6
4	Ligier-Matra	JS17	Matra MS81	M	44	2	7	1
5	Ferrari	126CK	Ferrari 021	M	34	2	3	1
6	McLaren-Ford	M29C M29F MP4/1	Ford Cosworth DFV	M	28	1	4
7	Lotus-Ford	81 87 88 88B	Ford Cosworth DFV	M G	22		1
8	Tyrrell-Ford	010 011	Ford Cosworth DFV	M A G	10
9	Alfa Romeo	179B 179C 179D	Alfa Romeo 1260	M	10		1
10	Arrows-Ford	A3	Ford Cosworth DFV	M P	10		2	1
11	Ensign-Ford	N180B	Ford Cosworth DFV	A M	5
12	Theodore-Ford	TY01	Ford Cosworth DFV	A G	1
13	ATS-Ford	D4 HGS	Ford Cosworth DFV	A M	1
14	Fittipaldi-Ford	F8C	Ford Cosworth DFV	M A P
15	Osella-Ford	FA1B FA1C	Ford Cosworth DFV	M
16	March-Ford	811	Ford Cosworth DFV	A M
17	Toleman-Hart	TG181	Hart 415T	P

1981 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 Hector 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 DNQ DNQ DNQ 6 Ret Ret 10 Ret Ret DNQ 1 21 Eliseo Salazar DNQ DNQ DNQ Ret DNQ DNQ 14 Ret DNQ NC Ret 6 Ret Ret NC 1 NC Jean-Pierre Jarier Ret 7 8 8 10 Ret 9 Ret Ret 0 NC Siegfried Stohr DNQ Ret 9 DNQ Ret Ret Ret DNQ Ret 12 Ret 7 DNQ 0 NC Derek Daly DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 16 Ret 7 Ret 11 Ret Ret 8 DNQ 0 NC Chico Serra 7 Ret Ret DNQ Ret DNQ 11 DNS DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 0 NC Keke Rosberg Ret 9 Ret Ret Ret DNQ 12 Ret Ret DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 10 0 NC Michele Alboreto Ret 12 Ret DNQ 16 Ret DNQ Ret 9 Ret 11 13 0 NC Brian Henton DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 10 DNQ DNQ 0 NC Jan Lammers Ret DNQ 12 Ret 0 NC Ricardo Zunino 13 13 0 NC Piercarlo Ghinzani 13 DNQ 0 NC Jean-Pierre Jabouille DNQ NC Ret DNQ Ret 0 NC Beppe Gabbiani Ret DNQ DNQ Ret Ret DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 0 NC Derek Warwick DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ Ret 0 NC Miguel Angel Guerra DNQ DNQ DNQ Ret 0 NC Jacques Villeneuve (elder) DNQ DNQ 0 NC Kevin Cogan DNQ 0 NC Giorgio Francia DNQ 0 NC Ricardo Londoño EX 0 Pos Driver USW BRA ARG SMR BEL MON ESP FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA CAN CPL Points

Colour Result Gold Winner Silver 2nd place Bronze 3rd place Green Points finish Blue Non-points finish Non-classified finish (NC) Purple Did not finish (Ret) Red Did not qualify (DNQ) Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ) Black Disqualified (DSQ) White Did not start (DNS) Race cancelled (C) Light blue Practiced only (PO) Friday test driver (TD) (from 2003 onwards) Blank Did not practice (DNP) Excluded (EX) Did not arrive (DNA) Withdrew entry before the event (WD)

Place	Driver	Number	Country	Points	Wins	Podiums	Poles
1	Nelson Piquet	5	Brazil	50	3	7	4
2	Carlos Reutemann	2	Argentina	49	2	7	2
3	Alan Jones	1	Australia	46	2	6
4	Jacques Laffite	26	France	44	2	7	1
5	Alain Prost	15	France	43	3	6	2
6	John Watson	7	Britain	27	1	4
7	Gilles Villeneuve	27	Canada	25	2	3	1
8	Elio de Angelis	11	Italy	14
9	René Arnoux	16	France	11		1	4
10	Hector Rebaque	6	Mexico	11
11	Riccardo Patrese	29	Italy	10		2	1
12	Eddie Cheever	3	USA	10
13	Didier Pironi	28	France	9
14	Nigel Mansell	12	Britain	8		1
15	Bruno Giacomelli	23	Italy	7		1
16	Marc Surer	33	Switzerland	4
17	Mario Andretti	22	USA	3
18	Andrea de Cesaris	8	Italy	1
19	Patrick Tambay	25	France	1
20	Slim Borgudd	9	Sweden	1
21	Eliseo Salazar	14	Chile	1

Non-Championship race results

Another Formula One race was also held in 1981, which did not count towards the World Championship.

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