Gilles Villeneuve gave Ferrari its first turbocharged Grand Prix victory on the streets of Monaco. Nelson Piquet crashed out of the lead, and Alan Jones then lost ground with fuel-feed trouble, allowing Gilles Villeneuve through. Alan Jones finished second ahead of Jacques Laffite.
Race Guide
Season: 1981 F1 World Championship
Race date: 31 May 1981
Race start time: 16:30, delayed from 15:30 local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Circuit de Monaco
Laps: 76 laps
Circuit length: 3.312 km
1980 winner: Carlos Reutemann
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Nelson Piquet | Brabham |
| Pole time | 1:25.710 | |
| Fastest lap | Alan Jones | Williams |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:27.470 on lap 48 | |
| First | Gilles Villeneuve | Ferrari |
| Second | Alan Jones | Williams |
| Third | Jacques Laffite | Ligier |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 28 May 1981 | Pre-qualifying | 08:00 |
| 28 May 1981 | Practice 1 | 10:00–11:30 |
| 28 May 1981 | Qualifying 1 | 13:00–14:00 |
| 30 May 1981 | Practice 2 | 10:00–11:30 |
| 30 May 1981 | Qualifying 2 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 31 May 1981 | Warm-up | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 31 May 1981 | Race | 16:30, delayed from 15:30 |
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 6 leading the 1981 F1 World Championship on 34 points, with Nelson Piquet on 22. Williams – Ford headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 52 points.
Race entries
Lotus introduced the 87 after the rejection of the 88, giving de Elio de Angelis and Nigel Mansell a new car. Renault again brought its RE30 alongside older spare machinery. Monaco’s twenty-car grid and a large entry required a preliminary elimination session before normal practice.
Pre-qualifying
Nine drivers ran in Thursday’s early session after Jan Lammers’s entry was withdrawn. Patrick Tambay, Marc Surer, Piercarlo Ghinzani and Beppe Gabbiani progressed, while the remaining five were eliminated. The main qualifying sessions would then reduce the field from 26 to twenty starters.
Pre-qualifying Classification
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 33 | Patrick Tambay | Theodore | 1:30.492 | — |
| 2 | 14 | Marc Surer | Ensign | 1:31.249 | +0.757 |
| 3 | 31 | Beppe Gabbiani | Osella | 1:32.704 | +2.212 |
| 4 | 32 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 1:33.189 | +2.697 |
| 5 | 10 | Slim Borgudd | ATS | 1:33.285 | +2.793 |
| 6 | 18 | Derek Daly | March | 1:33.800 | +3.308 |
| 7 | 17 | Eliseo Salazar | March | 1:35.249 | +4.757 |
| 8 | 35 | Brian Henton | Toleman | 1:37.528 | +7.036 |
| 9 | 36 | Derek Warwick | Toleman | 1:41.966 | +11.474 |
Thursday Free Practice
Thursday morning was immediately demanding. Didier Pironi damaged his Ferrari at Rascasse, Rene Arnoux suffered an engine failure and Alan Jones worked with a new Williams. The new Lotus cars showed encouraging pace, while Gilles Villeneuve demonstrated that Ferrari’s turbo engine could be effective even on Monaco’s confined streets.
Thursday Qualifying
Nelson Piquet set a formidable Thursday time, ahead of Gilles Villeneuve. Nigel Mansell also showed the new Lotus’s potential, while ride-height checks removed times from drivers whose cars failed the test. Didier Pironi’s second accident of the day further complicated Ferrari’s preparation.
Saturday Free Practice
Cooler conditions greeted Saturday’s practice. Ferrari had brought another car after Didier Pironi’s Thursday accidents, but he suffered further engine trouble during the morning. Rene Arnoux returned to the new Renault, and the teams worked to find a clear lap while also satisfying the ride-height checks at pit entry.
Saturday Qualifying
Gilles Villeneuve was fastest on Saturday but fell just short of Nelson Piquet’s pole time. Nigel Mansell qualified third, followed by Carlos Reutemann, Riccardo Patrese and de Elio de Angelis. Rene Arnoux crashed during the final session, while Keke Rosberg, Jean-Pierre Jabouille and Hector Rebaque were among those unable to make the reduced grid.
Combined Qualifying Classification
Each driver’s faster time from the two qualifying sessions determined the overall order.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Thursday Time | Saturday Time | Best Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 1:25.710 | 1:28.667 | 1:25.710 | — |
| 2 | 27 | Gilles Villeneuve | Ferrari | 1:26.891 | 1:25.788 | — | — |
| 3 | 12 | Nigel Mansell | Lotus | 1:27.174 | 1:25.815 | — | — |
| 4 | 2 | Carlos Reutemann | Williams | 1:27.643 | 1:26.010 | — | — |
| 5 | 29 | Riccardo Patrese | Arrows | 1:27.447 | 1:26.040 | — | — |
| 6 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 1:28.381 | 1:26.259 | — | — |
| 7 | 1 | Alan Jones | Williams | 1:26.938 | 1:26.538 | — | — |
| 8 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 1:27.468 | 1:26.704 | — | — |
| 9 | 15 | Alain Prost | Renault | 1:27.623 | 1:26.953 | — | — |
| 10 | 7 | John Watson | McLaren | 1:28.137 | 1:27.058 | — | — |
| 11 | 8 | Andrea de Cesaris | McLaren | 1:28.966 | 1:27.122 | — | — |
| 12 | 22 | Mario Andretti | Alfa Romeo | 1:27.512 | 1:28.162 | — | — |
| 13 | 16 | René Arnoux | Renault | 1:28.613 | 1:27.513 | — | — |
| 14 | 30 | Siegfried Stohr | Arrows | 1:29.789 | 1:27.564 | — | — |
| 15 | 3 | Eddie Cheever | Tyrrell | 1:29.282 | 1:27.594 | — | — |
| 16 | 33 | Patrick Tambay | Theodore | 1:28.897 | 1:27.939 | — | — |
| 17 | 28 | Didier Pironi | Ferrari | 1:29.150 | 1:28.266 | — | — |
| 18 | 23 | Bruno Giacomelli | Alfa Romeo | 1:28.335 | 1:28.323 | — | — |
| 19 | 14 | Marc Surer | Ensign | 1:29.611 | 1:28.339 | — | — |
| 20 | 4 | Michele Alboreto | Tyrrell | 1:30.699 | 1:28.358 | — | — |
| 21 | 20 | Keke Rosberg | Fittipaldi | 1:29.924 | 1:28.436 | — | — |
| 22 | 25 | Jean-Pierre Jabouille | Ligier | 1:29.752 | 1:28.841 | — | — |
| 23 | 6 | Héctor Rebaque | Brabham | 1:29.188 | 1:29.256 | — | — |
| 24 | 21 | Chico Serra | Fittipaldi | 1:32.109 | 1:29.434 | — | — |
| 25 | 32 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | no time | 1:29.694 | — | — |
| 26 | 31 | Beppe Gabbiani | Osella | 1:30.963 | 1:29.795 | — | — |
Sunday warm-up
Sunday’s preparations were disrupted later by a kitchen fire in the hotel above the tunnel. Water from the firefighting operation reached the circuit and delayed the race by an hour. Drivers were allowed additional reconnaissance before the start, and overtaking was restricted through the affected section until conditions improved.
What happened in the 1981 Monaco Grand Prix?
Nelson Piquet led after the delayed start, with the field negotiating the street circuit’s familiar hazards. Carlos Reutemann retired with gearbox trouble, ending a long run of points finishes. The Brabham appeared well placed until Nelson Piquet crashed while working through traffic.
Alan Jones inherited the lead but then suffered fuel-feed difficulties. Gilles Villeneuve closed and passed the Williams, turning Ferrari’s speed into a winning opportunity. The Canadian kept the car under control through the final laps as Alan Jones continued behind him.
Gilles Villeneuve won ahead of Alan Jones and Jacques Laffite, with Didier Pironi fourth, Eddie Cheever fifth and Marc Surer sixth. It was Ferrari’s first victory since 1979 and a major breakthrough for its new turbo programme on a circuit where power alone was never expected to be enough.
After the race, Carlos Reutemann headed the drivers’ standings with 34 points, followed by Alan Jones on 24. Williams – Ford led the constructors’ table on 58, with Brabham – Ford on 25.
1981 Monaco Grand Prix race results
The 1981 Monaco Grand Prix was held on 31 May 1981, with a scheduled start of 16:30, delayed from 15:30 local time.
1981 Monaco Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Alan Jones | Williams | 48 | 1:27.470 |
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 Monaco Grand Prix.
1981 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
1981 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Williams – Ford | 58 |
| 2 | Brabham – Ford | 25 |
| 3 | Ferrari | 17 |
| 4 | Ligier – Matra | 11 |
| 5 | Arrows – Ford | 10 |
| 6 | Lotus – Ford | 9 |
| 7 | Renault | 6 |
| 8 | Tyrrell – Ford | 5 |
| 9 | Ensign – Ford | 4 |
| 10 | Alfa Romeo | 3 |
| 11 | McLaren – Ford | 1 |
| 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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