Nelson Piquet dominated the Argentine Grand Prix, turning Brabham’s pace into a convincing victory over Carlos Reutemann. Alain Prost finished third for his first Formula 1 podium. Debate over Brabham’s ride-height system continued, but on the circuit Nelson Piquet was beyond reach.
Race Guide
Season: 1981 F1 World Championship
Race date: 12 April 1981
Race start time: Start time unconfirmed local time (UTC-03:00)
Circuit: Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez
Laps: 53 laps
Circuit length: 5.968 km
1980 winner: Alan Jones
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Nelson Piquet | Brabham |
| Pole time | 1:42.665 | |
| Fastest lap | Nelson Piquet | Brabham |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:45.287 on lap 6 | |
| First | Nelson Piquet | Brabham |
| Second | Carlos Reutemann | Williams |
| Third | Alain Prost | Renault |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 9 April 1981 | Familiarisation testing | Start time unconfirmed |
| 10 April 1981 | Practice 1 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 10 April 1981 | Qualifying 1 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 11 April 1981 | Practice 2 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 11 April 1981 | Qualifying 2 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 12 April 1981 | Warm-up | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 12 April 1981 | Race | Start time unconfirmed |
All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.
Championship background
Alan Jones arrived at round 3 leading the 1981 F1 World Championship on 15 points, with Carlos Reutemann on 15. Williams – Ford headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 30 points.
Race entries
John Watson returned to McLaren’s new MP4, while Lotus again relied on the 81 after the twin-chassis 88 was rejected. Jean-Pierre Jabouille continued his comeback attempt with Ligier. The Buenos Aires circuit had been resurfaced in several areas after the previous year’s problems.
Thursday familiarisation
Thursday afternoon testing included another brief trial of Ferrari’s Comprex system. A drive-belt failure ended that experiment, and the team concentrated on its conventional turbocharged cars for the rest of the meeting.
Friday Free Practice
Friday’s running reinforced Brabham’s promise, although Nelson Piquet suffered a frightening brake problem and escaped across the grass. Lotus faced clutch trouble with Nigel Mansell’s car, while Williams worked on handling that neither driver found entirely satisfactory. The resurfaced circuit provided a better foundation than the previous year’s crumbling asphalt.
Friday Qualifying
Nelson Piquet’s Friday lap secured pole ahead of Alain Prost. Brabham’s suspension system remained controversial, but the stewards rejected Williams’s protest. Carlos Reutemann was among the closest challengers before an engine failure interrupted his running.
Saturday Free Practice
Saturday’s preparation remained difficult for Ferrari, which faced repeated engine trouble, and for McLaren, where a broken damper explained John Watson’s handling problems. Alfa Romeo investigated ignition and performance concerns. These setbacks left the challengers short of the settled package Brabham was beginning to enjoy.
Saturday Qualifying
Warmer conditions on Saturday prevented the leading Friday times from being beaten. Alan Jones was fastest in the second session and moved ahead of Carlos Reutemann on the grid, while Rene Arnoux and Hector Rebaque completed the top six. Nelson Piquet retained the strongest starting position.
Combined Qualifying Classification
Each driver’s faster time from the two qualifying sessions determined the overall order.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Friday Time | Saturday Time | Best Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 1:42.665 | 1:44.364 | 1:42.665 | — |
| 2 | 15 | Alain Prost | Renault | 1:42.981 | 1:43.748 | — | — |
| 3 | 1 | Alan Jones | Williams | 1:44.662 | 1:43.638 | — | — |
| 4 | 2 | Carlos Reutemann | Williams | 1:43.935 | 1:44.094 | — | — |
| 5 | 16 | René Arnoux | Renault | 1:43.997 | 1:44.080 | — | — |
| 6 | 6 | Héctor Rebaque | Brabham | 1:44.712 | 1:44.100 | — | — |
| 7 | 27 | Gilles Villeneuve | Ferrari | 1:44.236 | 1:44.132 | — | — |
| 8 | 20 | Keke Rosberg | Fittipaldi | 1:45.273 | 1:44.191 | — | — |
| 9 | 29 | Riccardo Patrese | Arrows | 1:45.008 | 1:45.357 | — | — |
| 10 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 1:45.252 | 1:45.065 | — | — |
| 11 | 7 | John Watson | McLaren | 1:45.073 | 1:45.202 | — | — |
| 12 | 28 | Didier Pironi | Ferrari | 1:45.108 | 1:45.599 | — | — |
| 13 | 3 | Eddie Cheever | Tyrrell | 1:45.117 | 1:45.357 | — | — |
| 14 | 33 | Patrick Tambay | Theodore | 1:46.872 | 1:45.297 | — | — |
| 15 | 12 | Nigel Mansell | Lotus | 1:45.369 | 1:45.790 | — | — |
| 16 | 14 | Marc Surer | Ensign | 1:45.734 | 1:46.188 | — | — |
| 17 | 22 | Mario Andretti | Alfa Romeo | 1:46.329 | 1:46.059 | — | — |
| 18 | 8 | Andrea de Cesaris | McLaren | 1:46.387 | 1:46.663 | — | — |
| 19 | 30 | Siegfried Stohr | Arrows | 1:47.342 | 1:46.444 | — | — |
| 20 | 21 | Chico Serra | Fittipaldi | 1:46.743 | 1:46.706 | — | — |
| 21 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 1:46.854 | 1:47.594 | — | — |
| 22 | 23 | Bruno Giacomelli | Alfa Romeo | 1:47.109 | 1:46.918 | — | — |
| 23 | 9 | Jan Lammers | ATS | 1:47.174 | 1:47.576 | — | — |
| 24 | 4 | Ricardo Zunino | Tyrrell | 1:47.464 | 1:48.143 | — | — |
| 25 | 31 | Miguel Angel Guerra | Osella | 1:47.609 | 1:48.571 | — | — |
| 26 | 32 | Beppe Gabbiani | Osella | 1:48.121 | 1:48.203 | — | — |
| 27 | 17 | Derek Daly | March | 1:48.191 | 1:49.571 | — | — |
| 28 | 25 | Jean-Pierre Jabouille | Ligier | 1:49.581 | 1:50.226 | — | — |
| 29 | 18 | Eliseo Salazar | March | no time | 1:51.086 | — | — |
Sunday warm-up
Alan Jones reported a weak engine during Sunday’s warm-up. Williams examined the injection system but could not complete an engine change in the available time. The defending champion therefore approached the start with a significant concern, just as Nelson Piquet appeared ready to exploit his advantage.
What happened in the 1981 Argentine Grand Prix?
Alan Jones briefly led before Nelson Piquet passed him on the opening lap and pulled away. Carlos Reutemann moved into second, but Hector Rebaque also charged forward and eventually passed the home favourite. Brabham looked capable of a one-two finish.
Hector Rebaque’s ignition failure ended that prospect, leaving Carlos Reutemann second and Alain Prost third. Alan Jones continued with an engine that lacked its normal response. Nelson Piquet maintained a commanding advantage and never faced a serious challenge for victory.
Nelson Piquet won ahead of Carlos Reutemann and Alain Prost, with Alan Jones fourth and Rene Arnoux fifth. De Elio de Angelis passed Riccardo Patrese late on to take the final point. Brabham had answered its Brazilian disappointment decisively, while Carlos Reutemann’s second place kept him at the head of the championship.
After the race, Carlos Reutemann headed the drivers’ standings with 21 points, followed by Alan Jones on 18. Williams – Ford led the constructors’ table on 39, with Brabham – Ford on 13.
1981 Argentine Grand Prix race results
The 1981 Argentine Grand Prix was held on 12 April 1981.
1981 Argentine Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 6 | 1:45.287 |
Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.
1981 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings after the 1981 Argentine Grand Prix.
1981 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
| POS | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carlos Reutemann | Argentine | Williams | 21 |
| 2 | Alan Jones | Australian | Williams | 18 |
| 3 | Nelson Piquet | Brazilian | Brabham | 13 |
| 4 | Riccardo Patrese | Italian | Arrows | 4 |
| 5 | Alain Prost | French | Renault | 4 |
| 6 | Mario Andretti | American | Alfa Romeo | 3 |
| 7 | Marc Surer | Swiss | Ensign | 3 |
| 8 | Elio de Angelis | Italian | Lotus | 3 |
| 9 | René Arnoux | French | Renault | 2 |
| 10 | Eddie Cheever | American | Tyrrell | 2 |
| 11 | Patrick Tambay | French | Theodore | 1 |
| 12 | Jacques Laffite | French | Ligier | 1 |
| – | Jean-Pierre Jarier | French | Ligier | 0 |
| – | Chico Serra | Brazilian | Fittipaldi | 0 |
| – | John Watson | British | McLaren | 0 |
| – | Keke Rosberg | Finnish | Fittipaldi | 0 |
| – | Siegfried Stohr | Italian | Arrows | 0 |
| – | Bruno Giacomelli | Italian | Alfa Romeo | 0 |
| – | Nigel Mansell | British | Lotus | 0 |
| – | Andrea de Cesaris | Italian | McLaren | 0 |
| – | Jan Lammers | Dutch | ATS | 0 |
| – | Ricardo Zunino | Argentine | Tyrrell | 0 |
| – | Didier Pironi | French | Ferrari | 0 |
| – | Hector Rebaque | Mexican | Brabham | 0 |
| – | Gilles Villeneuve | Canadian | Ferrari | 0 |
| – | Beppe Gabbiani | Italian | Osella | 0 |
| – | Ricardo Londoño | Colombian | Ensign | 0 |
1981 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Williams – Ford | 39 |
| 2 | Brabham – Ford | 13 |
| 3 | Renault | 6 |
| 4 | Arrows – Ford | 4 |
| 5 | Alfa Romeo | 3 |
| 6 | Ensign – Ford | 3 |
| 7 | Lotus – Ford | 3 |
| 8 | Tyrrell – Ford | 2 |
| 9 | Ligier – Matra | 1 |
| 10 | Theodore – Ford | 1 |
| — | Fittipaldi – Ford | 0 |
| — | McLaren – Ford | 0 |
| — | ATS – Ford | 0 |
| — | Ferrari | 0 |
| — | Osella – Ford | 0 |
| — | March – Ford | 0 |
No driver needed to discard a points-scoring result this season. Constructors counted every round.
1981 Formula 1 Race Calendar
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