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

1981 French Grand Prix

Date
Winner
Pole position
Fastest lap
CircuitDijon-Prenois, 80 laps
Round8 of 15
Race numbers

The 1981 French Grand Prix was the:

  • 350th World Championship race
  • 31st World Championship French Grand Prix
  • 4th World Championship race at Dijon-Prenois
More 1981 season
More French Grands Prix

Race result

PosDriverConstructorLapsTimePoints
1+2(FRA) Alain ProstRenault801hr 35m 48.130s9
2 (GBR) John WatsonMcLaren-Ford Cosworth80+2.290s6
3+1(BRA) Nelson PiquetBrabham-Ford Cosworth80+24.220s4
4-3(FRA) Rene ArnouxRenault80+42.300s3
5+9(FRA) Didier PironiFerrari79+1 lap2
6+2(ITA) Elio de AngelisLotus-Ford Cosworth79+1 lap1
7+6(GBR) Nigel MansellLotus-Ford Cosworth79+1 lap 
8+2(USA) Mario AndrettiAlfa Romeo79+1 lap 
9+6(MEX) Hector RebaqueBrabham-Ford Cosworth78+2 laps 
10-3(ARG) Carlos ReutemannWilliams-Ford Cosworth78+2 laps 
11-6(ITA) Andrea de CesarisMcLaren-Ford Cosworth78+2 laps 
12+9(CHE) Marc SurerTheodore-Ford Cosworth78+2 laps 
13+6(USA) Eddie CheeverTyrrell-Ford Cosworth77+3 laps 
14+4(ITA) Riccardo PatreseArrows-Ford Cosworth77+3 laps 
15-3(ITA) Bruno GiacomelliAlfa Romeo77+3 laps 
16+7(ITA) Michele AlboretoTyrrell-Ford Cosworth77+3 laps 
17-8(AUS) Alan JonesWilliams-Ford Cosworth76+4 laps 
R (FRA) Jacques LaffiteLigier-Matra57DNF 
R (IRL) Derek DalyMarch-Ford Cosworth55DNF 
R (CAN) Gilles VilleneuveFerrari41DNF 
R (FRA) Patrick TambayLigier-Matra30DNF 
R (FIN) Keke RosbergFittipaldi-Ford Cosworth11DNF 
R (CHL) Eliseo SalazarEnsign-Ford Cosworth6DNF 
Did not start
  (BRA) Chico SerraFittipaldi-Ford Cosworth   

Starting grid

Pole time: 1:05.950

PosDriverConstructor
1(FRA) Rene ArnouxRenault
2(GBR) John WatsonMcLaren-Ford Cosworth
3(FRA) Alain ProstRenault
4(BRA) Nelson PiquetBrabham-Ford Cosworth
5(ITA) Andrea de CesarisMcLaren-Ford Cosworth
6(FRA) Jacques LaffiteLigier-Matra
7(ARG) Carlos ReutemannWilliams-Ford Cosworth
8(ITA) Elio de AngelisLotus-Ford Cosworth
9(AUS) Alan JonesWilliams-Ford Cosworth
10(USA) Mario AndrettiAlfa Romeo
11(CAN) Gilles VilleneuveFerrari
12(ITA) Bruno GiacomelliAlfa Romeo
13(GBR) Nigel MansellLotus-Ford Cosworth
14(FRA) Didier PironiFerrari
15(MEX) Hector RebaqueBrabham-Ford Cosworth
16(FRA) Patrick TambayLigier-Matra
17(FIN) Keke RosbergFittipaldi-Ford Cosworth
18(ITA) Riccardo PatreseArrows-Ford Cosworth
19(USA) Eddie CheeverTyrrell-Ford Cosworth
20(IRL) Derek DalyMarch-Ford Cosworth
21(CHE) Marc SurerTheodore-Ford Cosworth
22(CHL) Eliseo SalazarEnsign-Ford Cosworth
23(ITA) Michele AlboretoTyrrell-Ford Cosworth
24  

Non-qualifiers

DriverConstructor
(ITA) Siegfried StohrArrows-Ford Cosworth
(GBR) Brian HentonToleman-Hart
(SWE) Slim BorguddATS-Ford Cosworth
(ITA) Beppe GabbianiOsella-Ford Cosworth
(GBR) Derek WarwickToleman-Hart

Championship standings

How the championship standings stood post-race.

Driver

PosDriverPoints
1(ARG) Carlos Reutemann37
2(BRA) Nelson Piquet26
3(AUS) Alan Jones24
4(CAN) Gilles Villeneuve21
5(FRA) Jacques Laffite17
6(FRA) Alain Prost13
7(ITA) Riccardo Patrese10
=(GBR) John Watson10
9(ITA) Elio de Angelis8
10(FRA) Didier Pironi7
11(GBR) Nigel Mansell5
12(FRA) Rene Arnoux5
13(USA) Eddie Cheever5
14(CHE) Marc Surer4
15(USA) Mario Andretti3
=(MEX) Hector Rebaque3
17(FRA) Patrick Tambay1
=(ITA) Andrea de Cesaris1

Constructor

PosConstructorPoints
1Williams-Ford Cosworth61
2Brabham-Ford Cosworth29
3Ferrari28
4Renault18
5Ligier-Matra17
6Lotus-Ford Cosworth13
7McLaren-Ford Cosworth11
8Arrows-Ford Cosworth10
9Tyrrell-Ford Cosworth5
10Ensign-Ford Cosworth4
11Alfa Romeo3
12Theodore-Ford Cosworth1

Stats & milestones

Wins
1st for Alain Prost (68th different winner, 9th French driver; 2nd driver to win the French Grand Prix for Renault)
5th for Renault
Podiums
10th for John Watson (35th driver to score ten podiums, 9th British driver)
10th for Nelson Piquet (36th driver to score ten podiums, 2nd Brazilian driver)
2nd for Alain Prost
96th for Brabham
77th for McLaren
10th for Renault (17th constructor to score ten podiums)
Poles
6th for Rene Arnoux
12th for Renault
Fastest laps
1st for Alain Prost (72nd different fastest lap setter, 11th French driver)
7th for Renault
Front row starts
11th for Rene Arnoux
11th and last for John Watson (first since 1978; only front row start for McLaren)
Win & fastest lap
1st for Alain Prost (41st different driver to win and set the fastest lap, 4th French driver)