Alain Prost claimed his first Formula 1 victory at Dijon-Prenois, winning a French Grand Prix decided over two parts. Nelson Piquet led before heavy rain stopped the race, but Alain Prost took advantage after the restart to beat John Watson on aggregate. Nelson Piquet finished third.
Race Guide
Season: 1981 F1 World Championship
Race date: 5 July 1981
Race start time: Start time unconfirmed local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Dijon-Prenois
Laps: 80 laps
Circuit length: 3.801 km
1980 winner: Alan Jones
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | René Arnoux | Renault |
| Pole time | 1:05.950 | |
| Fastest lap | Alain Prost | Renault |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:09.140 on lap 64 | |
| First | Alain Prost | Renault |
| Second | John Watson | McLaren |
| Third | Nelson Piquet | Brabham |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 3 July 1981 | Practice 1 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 3 July 1981 | Qualifying 1 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 4 July 1981 | Practice 2 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 4 July 1981 | Qualifying 2 | 13:20–14:20 |
| 5 July 1981 | Warm-up | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 5 July 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
Carlos Reutemann arrived at round 8 leading the 1981 F1 World Championship on 37 points, with Alan Jones on 24. Williams – Ford headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 61 points.
Race entries
Jean-Pierre Jabouille retired from racing after struggling with the effects of his injuries. Patrick Tambay moved to Ligier, and Marc Surer took over the Theodore. Goodyear returned with Williams and Brabham, prompting extensive set-up work as those teams adapted from the tyres used earlier in the season.
Friday Free Practice
Heavy rain severely limited Friday morning’s useful running. Brian Henton was also suffering from food poisoning, while Derek Warwick’s Toleman developed excessive boost because of a faulty pressure-control valve. The returning Goodyear teams lost valuable time in which to adapt their cars.
Friday Qualifying
John Watson headed Friday’s times in the McLaren, ahead of the Renaults and Ferraris. Williams and Brabham were still adapting to their new tyres, so the session did not necessarily reflect how their cars would perform over the race distance.
Saturday Free Practice
Saturday was dry but cool and windy. Nigel Mansell suffered a fuel-line fire, Gilles Villeneuve crashed and Didier Pironi lost an engine, while Derek Warwick also damaged his Toleman. The interruptions delayed qualifying, and several teams spent the interval repairing cars rather than refining their settings.
Saturday Qualifying
Rene Arnoux secured pole on Saturday. John Watson and Alain Prost set identical times behind him, with John Watson placed ahead because he recorded his lap first. Nelson Piquet qualified fourth and de Andrea de Cesaris fifth, while Chico Serra narrowly made the grid before his Sunday accident.
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 | 16 | René Arnoux | Renault | 1:07.09 | 1:05.95 | 1:05.950 | — |
| 2 | 7 | John Watson | McLaren | 1:07.05 | 1:06.36 | — | — |
| 3 | 15 | Alain Prost | Renault | 1:07.57 | 1:06.36 | — | — |
| 4 | 5 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 1:09.21 | 1:06.91 | — | — |
| 5 | 8 | Andrea de Cesaris | McLaren | 1:08.83 | 1:07.03 | — | — |
| 6 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 1:08.71 | 1:07.09 | — | — |
| 7 | 2 | Carlos Reutemann | Williams | 1:08.83 | 1:07.42 | — | — |
| 8 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 1:08.40 | 1:07.52 | — | — |
| 9 | 1 | Alan Jones | Williams | 1:09.28 | 1:07.53 | — | — |
| 10 | 22 | Mario Andretti | Alfa Romeo | 1:10.09 | 1:07.56 | — | — |
| 11 | 27 | Gilles Villeneuve | Ferrari | 1:07.60 | 1:07.68 | — | — |
| 12 | 23 | Bruno Giacomelli | Alfa Romeo | 1:09.81 | 1:07.63 | — | — |
| 13 | 12 | Nigel Mansell | Lotus | 1:09.06 | 1:07.72 | — | — |
| 14 | 28 | Didier Pironi | Ferrari | 1:08.09 | 1:08.27 | — | — |
| 15 | 6 | Héctor Rebaque | Brabham | 1:09.69 | 1:08.21 | — | — |
| 16 | 25 | Patrick Tambay | Ligier | 1:09.51 | 1:08.47 | — | — |
| 17 | 20 | Keke Rosberg | Fittipaldi | 1:10.13 | 1:09.35 | — | — |
| 18 | 29 | Riccardo Patrese | Arrows | 1:09.37 | 1:10.14 | — | — |
| 19 | 3 | Eddie Cheever | Tyrrell | 1:11.50 | 1:09.88 | — | — |
| 20 | 17 | Derek Daly | March | 1:12.10 | 1:09.94 | — | — |
| 21 | 33 | Marc Surer | Theodore | 1:19.46 | 1:10.12 | — | — |
| 22 | 14 | Eliseo Salazar | Ensign | 1:15.59 | 1:10.50 | — | — |
| 23 | 4 | Michele Alboreto | Tyrrell | 1:12.37 | 1:10.64 | — | — |
| 24 | 21 | Chico Serra | Fittipaldi | 1:13.60 | 1:10.86 | — | — |
| 25 | 30 | Siegfried Stohr | Arrows | 1:13.13 | 1:11.24 | — | — |
| 26 | 35 | Brian Henton | Toleman | 1:29.13 | 1:11.28 | — | — |
| 27 | 9 | Slim Borgudd | ATS | 1:14.62 | 1:12.20 | — | — |
| 28 | 31 | Beppe Gabbiani | Osella | 1:12.24 | 1:36.20 | — | — |
| 29 | 36 | Derek Warwick | Toleman | 1:13.65 | no time | — | — |
Sunday warm-up
Sunday’s warm-up showed stronger race pace from Williams and Brabham, whose Goodyear tyres were suited to a full-distance run. Chico Serra crashed his Fittipaldi and could not start because the spare also had engine trouble. The grid was reduced to 23 cars before the race began.
What happened in the 1981 French Grand Prix?
Nelson Piquet took control of the first part and built an advantage before heavy rain brought the race to a halt after 58 laps. The interruption reset the strategic contest: the remaining distance would be a short run, with final positions decided by adding both parts’ times.
The Michelin runners could use tyres better suited to that short sprint to the finish. Alain Prost took the initiative after the restart and overturned Nelson Piquet’s earlier advantage. John Watson also moved ahead of the Brabham on aggregate.
Alain Prost won on home soil ahead of John Watson and Nelson Piquet, with Rene Arnoux fourth, Didier Pironi fifth and de Elio de Angelis sixth. Renault had its first win of the season, and Alain Prost had the breakthrough that would begin a remarkable career as a Grand Prix winner.
After the race, Carlos Reutemann headed the drivers’ standings with 37 points, followed by Nelson Piquet on 26. Williams – Ford led the constructors’ table on 61, with Brabham – Ford on 29.
1981 French Grand Prix race results
The 1981 French Grand Prix was held on 5 July 1981.
1981 French Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | Alain Prost | Renault | 64 | 1:09.140 |
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 French Grand Prix.
1981 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
1981 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Williams – Ford | 61 |
| 2 | Brabham – Ford | 29 |
| 3 | Ferrari | 28 |
| 4 | Renault | 18 |
| 5 | Ligier – Matra | 17 |
| 6 | Lotus – Ford | 13 |
| 7 | McLaren – Ford | 11 |
| 8 | Arrows – Ford | 10 |
| 9 | Tyrrell – Ford | 5 |
| 10 | Ensign – Ford | 4 |
| 11 | Alfa Romeo | 3 |
| 12 | Theodore – Ford | 1 |
| — | Fittipaldi – Ford | 0 |
| — | ATS – Ford | 0 |
| — | Osella – Ford | 0 |
| — | March – Ford | 0 |
| — | Toleman – Hart | 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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