1981 Formula One World Championship

The 1981 Formula One season was the 32nd of the championship. The champion was Nelson Piquet in a close battle.

Season review

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

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
22	Jean-Pierre Jarier	Ret	7							8	8	10	Ret	9	Ret	Ret	0
23	Siegfried Stohr	DNQ	Ret	9	DNQ	Ret	Ret	Ret	DNQ	Ret	12	Ret	7	DNQ			0
24	Derek Daly	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	16	Ret	7	Ret	11	Ret	Ret	8	DNQ	0
25	Chico Serra	7	Ret	Ret	DNQ	Ret	DNQ	11	DNS	DNQ	DNQ		DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	0
26	Keke Rosberg	Ret	9	Ret	Ret	Ret	DNQ	12	Ret	Ret	DNQ		DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	10	0
27	Michele Alboreto				Ret	12	Ret	DNQ	16	Ret	DNQ	Ret	9	Ret	11	13	0
28	Brian Henton				DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	10	DNQ	DNQ	0
29	Jan Lammers	Ret	DNQ	12	Ret												0
30	Piercarlo Ghinzani					13	DNQ										0
31	Ricardo Zunino		13	13													0
—	Beppe Gabbiani	Ret	DNQ	DNQ	Ret	Ret	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	0
—	Jean-Pierre Jabouille			DNQ	NC	Ret	DNQ	Ret									0
—	Derek Warwick				DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	Ret	0
—	Miguel Angel Guerra	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	Ret												0
—	Jacques Villeneuve (elder)														DNQ	DNQ	0
—	Kevin Cogan	DNQ															0
—	Ricardo Londono		DNQ														0
—	Giorgio Francia							DNQ									0
Pos	Driver	USW	BRA	ARG	SMR	BEL	MON	ESP	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	NED	ITA	CAN	CPL	Points

1981 Formula One World Championship Media

• 

  During the 1981–82 seasons, Ligier were sponsored by Talbot.

• 

  1979 World Champion Jody Scheckter had retired after last season.

• 

  Alain Prost had moved to Renault.

• 

  Michele Alboreto (front) and Slim Borgudd (back) both debuted in the 1981 San Marino Grand Prix (Picture from Dutch Grand Prix).