Lap Ledger1950–2027 · every championship race

Season · 15 rounds, all run

1981 FIA Formula One World Championship

Sliding skirts banned; Brabham's hydropneumatic ride-height system exploited the letter of the rule. Concorde Agreement signed, ending the FISA-FOCA war.

Rounds
15all run
Drivers' champion
Nelson Piquet50 points
Constructors' champion
Williams95 points
Margin
1over Carlos Reutemann

How the title was decided

01020304050R3R6R9R12R155046
Nelson PiquetCarlos ReutemannAlan Jones

The three drivers who finished highest, tracked from the opening round. Before 1991 only a driver's best few results counted, so a line can rise by less than they scored that weekend.

The numbers behind this chart, How the title was decided
How the title was decided
DriverAfter roundPoints
Nelson Piquet14
Nelson Piquet24
Nelson Piquet313
Nelson Piquet422
Nelson Piquet522
Nelson Piquet622
Nelson Piquet722
Nelson Piquet826
Nelson Piquet926
Nelson Piquet1035
Nelson Piquet1139
Nelson Piquet1245
Nelson Piquet1346
Nelson Piquet1448
Nelson Piquet1550
Carlos Reutemann16
Carlos Reutemann215
Carlos Reutemann321
Carlos Reutemann425
Carlos Reutemann534
Carlos Reutemann634
Carlos Reutemann737
Carlos Reutemann837
Carlos Reutemann943
Carlos Reutemann1043
Carlos Reutemann1145
Carlos Reutemann1245
Carlos Reutemann1349
Carlos Reutemann1449
Carlos Reutemann1549
Alan Jones19
Alan Jones215
Alan Jones318
Alan Jones418
Alan Jones518
Alan Jones624
Alan Jones724
Alan Jones824
Alan Jones924
Alan Jones1024
Alan Jones1127
Alan Jones1231
Alan Jones1337
Alan Jones1437
Alan Jones1546

Final drivers' standings

Final drivers' standings
PosDriverWinsPointsGap
1Nelson Piquet350—
2Carlos Reutemann2491
3Alan Jones2464
4Jacques Laffite2446
5Alain Prost3437
6John Watson12723
7Gilles Villeneuve22525
8Elio de Angelis01436
9Rene Arnoux01139
10Héctor Rebaque01139
11Riccardo Patrese01040
12Eddie Cheever01040
13Didier Pironi0941
14Nigel Mansell0842
15Bruno Giacomelli0743
16Marc Surer0446
17Mario Andretti0347
18Patrick Tambay0149
18Andrea de Cesaris0149
18Slim Borgudd0149
18Eliseo Salazar0149
A driver with points and no position was excluded from the classification: the points stand, the position does not. Wins are counted from the race records, and a shared drive is a win for both of its drivers. The gap is to the highest points total classified, so the leader's own is an em dash; before 1991 it is a difference of net totals, dropped scores and all.

Final constructors' standings

Final constructors' standings
PosConstructorPointsGap
1Williams ford95—
2Brabham ford6134
3Renault renault5441
4Ligier matra4451
5Ferrari ferrari3461
6McLaren ford2867
7Team Lotus ford2273
8Arrows ford1085
9Alfa Romeo alfa-romeo1085
10Tyrrell ford1085
11Ensign ford590
12Theodore ford194
12ATS ford194
The gap is to the highest points total classified, so the leader's own is an em dash; before 1991 it is a difference of net totals, dropped scores and all. The championship is contested by a chassis–engine pair, so one name can appear more than once with different engines.

The calendar

  1. R1United States Westrun
  2. R2Brazilianrun
  3. R3Argentinerun
  4. R4San Marinorun
  5. R5Belgianrun
  6. R6Monacorun
  7. R7Spanishrun
  8. R8Frenchrun
  9. R9Britishrun
  10. R10Germanrun
  11. R11Austrianrun
  12. R12Dutchrun
  13. R13Italianrun
  14. R14Canadianrun
  15. R15Caesars Palacerun

The outline is F1DB’s, for every layout; the trace is OpenStreetMap’s, where it exists. F1DB, CC BY 4.0 · drawn by Jules Roy.

The calendar
RGrand PrixCircuitDatesWinnerConstructorPoleFastest lap
1United States Grand Prix WestLong BeachAlan JonesWilliamsRiccardo PatreseAlan Jones
2Brazilian Grand PrixJacarepaguaCarlos ReutemannWilliamsNelson PiquetMarc Surer
3Argentine Grand PrixAutodromo Oscar GalvezNelson PiquetBrabhamNelson PiquetNelson Piquet
4San Marino Grand PrixAutodromo Enzo e Dino FerrariNelson PiquetBrabhamGilles VilleneuveGilles Villeneuve
5Belgian Grand PrixCircuit ZolderCarlos ReutemannWilliamsCarlos ReutemannCarlos Reutemann
6Monaco Grand PrixCircuit de MonacoGilles VilleneuveFerrariNelson PiquetAlan Jones
7Spanish Grand PrixCircuito del JaramaGilles VilleneuveFerrariJacques LaffiteAlan Jones
8French Grand PrixDijon-PrenoisAlain ProstRenaultRene ArnouxAlain Prost
9British Grand PrixSilverstone CircuitJohn WatsonMcLarenRene ArnouxRene Arnoux
10German Grand PrixHockenheimringNelson PiquetBrabhamAlain ProstAlan Jones
11Austrian Grand PrixRed Bull RingJacques LaffiteLigierRene ArnouxJacques Laffite
12Dutch Grand PrixCircuit ZandvoortAlain ProstRenaultAlain ProstAlan Jones
13Italian Grand PrixAutodromo Nazionale MonzaAlain ProstRenaultRene ArnouxCarlos Reutemann
14Canadian Grand PrixCircuit Gilles-VilleneuveJacques LaffiteLigierNelson PiquetJohn Watson
15Caesars Palace Grand PrixCaesars PalaceAlan JonesWilliamsCarlos ReutemannDidier Pironi
Two names in one cell is a shared drive: both drivers are classified in that position, and both are winners. Open any round for its full classification.

Who entered

Who entered
ConstructorEntered asChassisDesignsEnginesTyres
Alfa RomeoMarlboro Team Alfa RomeoAlfa Romeo 179B, Alfa Romeo 179C, Alfa Romeo 179D3Alfa Romeo 1260 3.0 V12Michelin
ArrowsRagno Arrows Beta Racing TeamArrows A31Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8Michelin, Pirelli
ATSTeam ATSATS D4, ATS HGS12Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8Michelin, Avon
BrabhamParmalat Racing TeamBrabham BT49C1Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8Michelin, Goodyear
EnsignEnsign RacingEnsign N180B1Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8Michelin, Avon
FerrariScuderia Ferrari SpA SEFACFerrari 126CK1Ferrari 021 1.5 V6 TMichelin
FittipaldiFittipaldi AutomotiveFittipaldi F8C1Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8Michelin, Avon, Pirelli
LigierÉquipe Talbot GitanesLigier JS171Matra MS81 3.0 V12Michelin
MarchMarch Grand Prix TeamMarch 8111Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8Michelin, Avon
McLarenMarlboro McLaren InternationalMcLaren M29F, McLaren MP4/12Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8Michelin
OsellaDenim OsellaOsella FA1B, Osella FA1C2Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8Michelin
RenaultÉquipe Renault ElfRenault RE20B, Renault RE302Renault-Gordini EF1 1.5 V6 TMichelin
Team LotusTeam Essex LotusLotus 81B, Lotus 87, Lotus 88, Lotus 88B4Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8Michelin, Goodyear
TheodoreTheodore Racing TeamTheodore TY011Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8Avon, Michelin
TolemanCandy Toleman MotorsportToleman TG1811Hart 415T 1.5 L4 TPirelli
TyrrellTyrrell Racing TeamTyrrell 010, Tyrrell 0112Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8Michelin, Avon
WilliamsAlbilad-Williams Racing TeamWilliams FW07C1Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8Michelin, Goodyear
Where an entrant ran more than one design, no source records which car raced which round — so those race results carry no chassis.

Photographs

From Wikimedia Commons, each shown with the photographer and licence its terms require.

Ligier JS17
Ligier JS17
Laffite en Reutemann tijdens de Grand Prix Formule 1 van Nederland 1981 · Hans van Dijk for Anefo · CC0 · unchecked
Ferrari 126C
Ferrari 126C
Ferrari 126CK front-left Museo Ferrari · Morio · CC BY-SA 3.0
Arrows A3
Arrows A3
Arrows A3 Mallory Park · TOM at Picassa . · CC BY-SA 3.0
Toleman TG181
Toleman TG181
Toleman TG181 · Phil Guest from Bournemouth, UK · CC BY-SA 2.0
March 811
March 811
March 811 at Silverstone Classic 2011 · David Merrett from Daventry, England · CC BY 2.0

A photograph marked unchecked has a file name that does not name the car it is shown for. Most are still the right car, filed under the driver rather than the machine — but nobody has confirmed these one by one.

Where this comes from

Team
Brabham
Runner-up
Carlos Reutemann — 49
Engine formula
3.0 L naturally aspirated / 1.5 L turbocharged
Tyres
Goodyear, Michelin
Entered
39 drivers, 17 constructors, 6 engine makers — counted from the entries, whether or not they started