Most Wins: Lewis Hamilton (106) • Most Titles: M. Schumacher & L. Hamilton (7) • 77 Seasons Since 1950 • 1,159 Races in Database • 818 Drivers Tracked • Most Wins: Lewis Hamilton (106) • Most Titles: M. Schumacher & L. Hamilton (7) • 77 Seasons Since 1950 • 1,159 Races in Database • 818 Drivers Tracked •
PITLANESTATS

1981 Formula 1 Season

15 races · Champion: Nelson Piquet

Driver Standings

PosDriverTeamPtsWins
1 Nelson Piquet Brabham 50 3
2 Carlos Reutemann Williams 49 2
3 Alan Jones Williams 46 2
4 Jacques Laffite Ligier 44 2
5 Alain Prost Renault 43 3
6 John Watson McLaren 27 1
7 Gilles Villeneuve Ferrari 25 2
8 Elio de Angelis Team Lotus 14 0
9 René Arnoux Renault 11 0
10 Hector Rebaque Brabham 11 0
11 Riccardo Patrese Arrows 10 0
12 Eddie Cheever Tyrrell 10 0
13 Didier Pironi Ferrari 9 0
14 Nigel Mansell Team Lotus 8 0
15 Bruno Giacomelli Alfa Romeo 7 0
16 Marc Surer Ensign 4 0
17 Mario Andretti Alfa Romeo 3 0
18 Andrea de Cesaris McLaren 1 0
19 Patrick Tambay Theodore 1 0
20 Slim Borgudd ATS 1 0
21 Eliseo Salazar March 1 0
Jean-Pierre Jarier Ligier 0 0
Derek Daly March 0 0
Siegfried Stohr Arrows 0 0
Chico Serra Fittipaldi 0 0
Keke Rosberg Fittipaldi 0 0
Michele Alboreto Tyrrell 0 0
Brian Henton Toleman 0 0
Jan Lammers ATS 0 0
Ricardo Zunino Tyrrell 0 0
Piercarlo Ghinzani Osella 0 0
Jean-Pierre Jabouille Ligier 0 0
Derek Warwick Toleman 0 0
Beppe Gabbiani Osella 0 0
Miguel Ángel Guerra Osella 0 0
Ricardo Londoño Ensign 0 0

Constructor Standings

PosConstructorPtsWins
1 Williams 95 4
2 Brabham 61 3
3 Renault 54 3
4 Ligier 44 2
5 Ferrari 34 2
6 McLaren 28 1
7 Team Lotus 22 0
8 Arrows 10 0
9 Alfa Romeo 10 0
10 Tyrrell 10 0
11 Ensign 5 0
12 Theodore 1 0
13 ATS 1 0
March 0 0
Fittipaldi 0 0
Osella 0 0
Toleman 0 0

Races

R11981-03-15
United States Grand Prix West
Long Beach
Alan Jones
R21981-03-29
Brazilian Grand Prix
Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet
Carlos Reutemann
R31981-04-12
Argentine Grand Prix
Autódromo Juan y Oscar Gálvez
Nelson Piquet
R41981-05-03
San Marino Grand Prix
Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
Nelson Piquet
R51981-05-17
Belgian Grand Prix
Zolder
Carlos Reutemann
R61981-05-31
Monaco Grand Prix
Circuit de Monaco
Gilles Villeneuve
R71981-06-21
Spanish Grand Prix
Jarama
Gilles Villeneuve
R81981-07-05
French Grand Prix
Dijon-Prenois
Alain Prost
R91981-07-18
British Grand Prix
Silverstone Circuit
John Watson
R101981-08-02
German Grand Prix
Hockenheimring
Nelson Piquet
R111981-08-16
Austrian Grand Prix
Red Bull Ring
Jacques Laffite
R121981-08-30
Dutch Grand Prix
Circuit Park Zandvoort
Alain Prost
R131981-09-13
Italian Grand Prix
Autodromo Nazionale di Monza
Alain Prost
R141981-09-27
Canadian Grand Prix
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
Jacques Laffite
R151981-10-17
Caesars Palace Grand Prix
Las Vegas Street Circuit
Alan Jones

The 1981 Season

Nelson Piquet won his first World Championship in 1981, narrowly beating Williams' Carlos Reutemann in a tense, season-long battle decided at the Las Vegas finale. Piquet drove the Brabham BT49 to the crown while Williams took the constructors' title.

The season unfolded amid the FISA-FOCA political war between the governing body and the teams, plus controversy over sliding skirts and ground effect. It marked the steady rise of turbocharged engines as the technology to beat.