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Home / Seasons / 1981 F1 World Championship Season / 1981 Belgian Grand Prix

1981 Belgian Grand Prix

DateSunday, 17 May 1981
Winner
  • Carlos Reutemann
  • Williams-Ford Cosworth
Pole position
  • Carlos Reutemann
  • Williams-Ford Cosworth
Fastest lap
  • Carlos Reutemann
  • Williams-Ford Cosworth
CircuitZolder, 54 laps
Round5 of 15
Race numbers

The 1981 Belgian Grand Prix was the:

  • 347th World Championship race
  • 28th World Championship Belgian Grand Prix
  • 8th World Championship race at Zolder
More 1981 season
More Belgian Grands Prix

On this page

  • Race result
  • Starting grid
  • Non-qualifiers
  • Championship standings
  • Statistics & milestones

Race result

PosDriverConstructorLapsTimePoints
1 (ARG) Carlos ReutemannWilliams-Ford Cosworth541hr 16m 31.610s9
2+7(FRA) Jacques LaffiteLigier-Matra54+36.060s6
3+7(GBR) Nigel MansellLotus-Ford Cosworth54+43.690s4
4+3(CAN) Gilles VilleneuveFerrari54+47.640s3
5+9(ITA) Elio de AngelisLotus-Ford Cosworth54+49.200s2
6+2(USA) Eddie CheeverTyrrell-Ford Cosworth54+52.510s1
7-2(GBR) John WatsonMcLaren-Ford Cosworth54+1m 01.660s 
8-5(FRA) Didier PironiFerrari54+1m 32.040s 
9+8(ITA) Bruno GiacomelliAlfa Romeo54+1m 35.580s 
10+8(USA) Mario AndrettiAlfa Romeo53+1 lap 
11+4(CHE) Marc SurerEnsign-Ford Cosworth52+2 laps 
12+7(ITA) Michele AlboretoTyrrell-Ford Cosworth52+2 laps 
13+11(ITA) Piercarlo GhinzaniOsella-Ford Cosworth50+4 laps 
R (MEX) Hector RebaqueBrabham-Ford Cosworth39DNF 
R (FRA) Jean-Pierre JabouilleLigier-Matra35DNF 
R (BRA) Chico SerraFittipaldi-Ford Cosworth29DNF 
R (ITA) Beppe GabbianiOsella-Ford Cosworth22DNF 
R (AUS) Alan JonesWilliams-Ford Cosworth19DNF 
R (ITA) Andrea de CesarisMcLaren-Ford Cosworth11DNF 
R (BRA) Nelson PiquetBrabham-Ford Cosworth10DNF 
R (FIN) Keke RosbergFittipaldi-Ford Cosworth10DNF 
R (FRA) Alain ProstRenault2DNF 
R (ITA) Siegfried StohrArrows-Ford Cosworth0DNF 
R (ITA) Riccardo PatreseArrows-Ford Cosworth0DNF 

Notes

  • Alan Jones ended lap 19 as the race leader before retiring on the following lap.

Starting grid

Pole time: 1:22.280

PosDriverConstructor
1(ARG) Carlos ReutemannWilliams-Ford Cosworth
2(BRA) Nelson PiquetBrabham-Ford Cosworth
3(FRA) Didier PironiFerrari
4(ITA) Riccardo PatreseArrows-Ford Cosworth
5(GBR) John WatsonMcLaren-Ford Cosworth
6(AUS) Alan JonesWilliams-Ford Cosworth
7(CAN) Gilles VilleneuveFerrari
8(USA) Eddie CheeverTyrrell-Ford Cosworth
9(FRA) Jacques LaffiteLigier-Matra
10(GBR) Nigel MansellLotus-Ford Cosworth
11(FIN) Keke RosbergFittipaldi-Ford Cosworth
12(FRA) Alain ProstRenault
13(ITA) Siegfried StohrArrows-Ford Cosworth
14(ITA) Elio de AngelisLotus-Ford Cosworth
15(CHE) Marc SurerEnsign-Ford Cosworth
16(FRA) Jean-Pierre JabouilleLigier-Matra
17(ITA) Bruno GiacomelliAlfa Romeo
18(USA) Mario AndrettiAlfa Romeo
19(ITA) Michele AlboretoTyrrell-Ford Cosworth
20(BRA) Chico SerraFittipaldi-Ford Cosworth
21(MEX) Hector RebaqueBrabham-Ford Cosworth
22(ITA) Beppe GabbianiOsella-Ford Cosworth
23(ITA) Andrea de CesarisMcLaren-Ford Cosworth
24(ITA) Piercarlo GhinzaniOsella-Ford Cosworth

Non-qualifiers

DriverConstructor
(FRA) Rene ArnouxRenault
(CHL) Eliseo SalazarMarch-Ford Cosworth
(SWE) Slim BorguddATS-Ford Cosworth
(FRA) Patrick TambayTheodore-Ford Cosworth
(GBR) Derek WarwickToleman-Hart
(GBR) Brian HentonToleman-Hart
(IRL) Derek DalyMarch-Ford Cosworth

Championship standings

How the championship standings stood post-race.

Driver

PosDriverPoints
1(ARG) Carlos Reutemann34
2(BRA) Nelson Piquet22
3(AUS) Alan Jones18
4(ITA) Riccardo Patrese10
5(FRA) Jacques Laffite7
6(ITA) Elio de Angelis5
7(FRA) Alain Prost4
=(GBR) Nigel Mansell4
9(USA) Mario Andretti3
=(CHE) Marc Surer3
=(MEX) Hector Rebaque3
=(CAN) Gilles Villeneuve3
13(USA) Eddie Cheever3
14(FRA) Rene Arnoux2
=(FRA) Didier Pironi2
16(FRA) Patrick Tambay1
=(ITA) Andrea de Cesaris1

Constructor

PosConstructorPoints
1Williams-Ford Cosworth52
2Brabham-Ford Cosworth25
3Arrows-Ford Cosworth10
4Lotus-Ford Cosworth9
5Ligier-Matra7
6Renault6
7Ferrari5
8Alfa Romeo3
=Ensign-Ford Cosworth3
10Tyrrell-Ford Cosworth3
11Theodore-Ford Cosworth1
=McLaren-Ford Cosworth1

Statistics & milestones

Race debut
Piercarlo Ghinzani
Last start
Beppe Gabbiani
Milestone race start
50th for Didier Pironi (46th driver to start 50 races, 8th French driver)
Wins
12th and last for Carlos Reutemann
14th for Williams
Podiums
42nd for Carlos Reutemann
20th for Jacques Laffite (19th driver to score 20 podiums, 1st French driver)
1st for Nigel Mansell (138th different podium finisher, 30th British driver)
135th for Lotus
37th for Williams
26th for Ligier
Poles
5th for Carlos Reutemann (first since 1978; first Argentine polesitter since 1978; first for Williams)
7th for Williams
Fastest laps
5th for Carlos Reutemann
13th for Williams
Front row starts
18th for Carlos Reutemann
7th for Nelson Piquet
Points finishes
1st for Nigel Mansell (206th different point scorer, 44th British driver)
Pole & win
3rd and last for Carlos Reutemann (first since 1978; only win from pole for Williams)
Win & fastest lap
4th and last for Carlos Reutemann
Hat-trick (pole, win & fastest lap)
1st and only for Carlos Reutemann (26th different driver to complete a hat-trick, 2nd Argentine driver; first Argentine driver to complete a hat-trick since 1957)

See also

  • Belgian Grand Prix
  • Zolder circuit
  • 1981 World Championship season

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