1
Nelson Piquet
Brabham
50 pts
2
Carlos Reutemann
Williams
49 pts
3
Alan Jones
Williams
46 pts
1
Williams
95 pts
Nelson Piquet is the 1981 Formula 1 World Champion. Piquet won 3 out of 15 races and scored a total of 50 points. With 1 points behind Carlos Reutemann finished the season in second place and Alan Jones as third. Williams won the 1981 Formula 1 constructor championship, with a total of 95 points.
The season started with the 1981 United States Grand Prix West on March 15th. The last race of the season was the 1981 Caesars Palace Grand Prix on October 17th.
Number of races
15 races
First race
United States Grand Prix West (March 15th)
Last race
Caesars Palace Grand Prix (October 17th)
Most wins
Nelson Piquet (3)
Alain Prost (3)
Most pole positions
René Arnoux (4)
Nelson Piquet (4)
Most podiums
Carlos Reutemann (7)
Nelson Piquet (7)
1 more
Most top 5 finishes
Nelson Piquet (9)
Carlos Reutemann (9)
Most points finishes
Nelson Piquet (10)
Most DNF's
Riccardo Patrese (9)
Hector Rebaque (9)
2 more

1981 standings

Pos Driver Car Wins Podiums Pts Gap
1
Nelson Piquet
Brabham 3 7 50
2
Carlos Reutemann
Williams 2 7 49 -1
3
Alan Jones
Williams 2 6 46 -4
4
Jacques Laffite
Ligier 2 7 44 -6
5
Alain Prost
Renault 3 6 43 -7
6
John Watson
McLaren 1 4 27 -23
7
Gilles Villeneuve
Ferrari 2 3 25 -25
8
Elio de Angelis
Team Lotus 14 -36
9
René Arnoux
Renault 1 11 -39
10
Hector Rebaque
Brabham 11 -39
11
Riccardo Patrese
Arrows 2 10 -40
12
Eddie Cheever
Tyrrell 10 -40
13
Didier Pironi
Ferrari 9 -41
14
Nigel Mansell
Team Lotus 1 8 -42
15
Bruno Giacomelli
Alfa Romeo 1 7 -43
16
Marc Surer
Theodore 4 -46
17
Mario Andretti
Alfa Romeo 3 -47
18
Andrea de Cesaris
McLaren 1 -49
19
Patrick Tambay
Ligier 1 -49
20
Slim Borgudd
ATS 1 -49
21
Eliseo Salazar
Ensign 1 -49
22
Jean-Pierre Jarier
Osella 0 -50
23
Derek Daly
March 0 -50
24
Siegfried Stohr
Arrows 0 -50
25
Chico Serra
Fittipaldi 0 -50
26
Keke Rosberg
Fittipaldi 0 -50
27
Michele Alboreto
Tyrrell 0 -50
28
Brian Henton
Toleman 0 -50
29
Jan Lammers
ATS 0 -50
30
Ricardo Zunino
Tyrrell 0 -50
31
Piercarlo Ghinzani
Osella 0 -50
32
Jean-Pierre Jabouille
Ligier 0 -50
33
Derek Warwick
Toleman 0 -50
34
Beppe Gabbiani
Osella 0 -50
35
Miguel Ángel Guerra
Osella 0 -50
36
Kevin Cogan
Tyrrell 0 -50
37
Jacques Villeneuve Sr.
Arrows 0 -50
38
Giorgio Francia
Osella 0 -50
39
Ricardo Londoño
Ensign 0 -50
Pos Team Wins Podiums Pts Gap
1 Williams 4 13 95
2 Brabham 3 7 61 -34
3 Renault 3 7 54 -41
4 Ligier 2 7 44 -51
5 Ferrari 2 3 34 -61
6 McLaren 1 4 28 -67
7 Team Lotus 1 22 -73
8 Arrows 2 10 -85
9 Alfa Romeo 1 10 -85
10 Tyrrell 10 -85
11 Ensign 5 -90
12 Theodore 1 -94
13 ATS 1 -94
14 March 0 -95
15 Fittipaldi 0 -95
16 Osella 0 -95
17 Toleman 0 -95

1981 schedule

Date Race Winner 2nd 3rd Pole position
Mar 15th
United States Grand Prix West
#1 Alan Jones
Carlos Reutemann
Nelson Piquet
Riccardo Patrese
Mar 29th
Brazilian Grand Prix
#2 Carlos Reutemann
Alan Jones
Riccardo Patrese
Nelson Piquet
Apr 12th
Argentine Grand Prix
#5 Nelson Piquet
Carlos Reutemann
Alain Prost
Nelson Piquet
May 3rd
San Marino Grand Prix
#5 Nelson Piquet
Riccardo Patrese
Carlos Reutemann
Gilles Villeneuve
May 17th
Belgian Grand Prix
#2 Carlos Reutemann
Jacques Laffite
Nigel Mansell
Carlos Reutemann
May 31st
Monaco Grand Prix
#27 Gilles Villeneuve
Alan Jones
Jacques Laffite
Nelson Piquet
Jun 21st
Spanish Grand Prix
#27 Gilles Villeneuve
Jacques Laffite
John Watson
Jacques Laffite
Jul 5th
French Grand Prix
#15 Alain Prost
John Watson
Nelson Piquet
René Arnoux
Jul 18th
British Grand Prix
#7 John Watson
Carlos Reutemann
Jacques Laffite
René Arnoux
Aug 2nd
German Grand Prix
#5 Nelson Piquet
Alain Prost
Jacques Laffite
Alain Prost
Aug 16th
Austrian Grand Prix
#26 Jacques Laffite
René Arnoux
Nelson Piquet
René Arnoux
Aug 30th
Dutch Grand Prix
#15 Alain Prost
Nelson Piquet
Alan Jones
Alain Prost
Sep 13th
Italian Grand Prix
#15 Alain Prost
Alan Jones
Carlos Reutemann
René Arnoux
Sep 27th
Canadian Grand Prix
#26 Jacques Laffite
John Watson
Gilles Villeneuve
Nelson Piquet
Oct 17th
Caesars Palace Grand Prix
#1 Alan Jones
Alain Prost
Bruno Giacomelli
Carlos Reutemann