1981 Austrian F1 Grand Prix Race Report & Results

Event: Austrian Grand Prix
Track: Österreichring

Weather: overcast, dry, mild

Jacques Laffite won his 5th F1 World Championship race at the 1981 Austrian Grand Prix. The Ligier-Matra driver started from 4th on the grid and won on the Osterreichring circuit for the 1st time. It was also his 1st win of the season and the 7th win for the Ligier F1 team.

Laffite’s tyre gamble pays off

The 1981 Austrian Grand Prix at the Osterreichring was won on Jean-Pierre Jabouille’s tyre call. As Ligier’s new technical chief he advised Laffite to fit hard Michelin TRX at the rear and softs at the front, the opposite of what the Renaults chose. The two Yellow Teapots dominated qualifying as expected; in the race their pneus melted from lap 20 and Laffite reeled them in.

The race

Villeneuve made another rocket start, jumping into the lead off the line before being passed by Prost and Arnoux and then losing his brakes, he crashed at Bosch on lap 12. Prost’s left-front suspension broke on lap 27, leaving Arnoux alone in the lead with collapsing Michelins. Laffite caught him by lap 33 and passed at the Texaco chicane on lap 39.

Piquet third for Brabham despite a missing skirt and severe oversteer; Jones fourth, Reutemann a fortunate fifth despite his Cosworth blowing up on the last lap, Watson sixth. Andretti retired with engine failure after another miserable Alfa weekend. Reutemann 45, Piquet 39, Laffite 34, Jones 27, four men still in the championship hunt with four races to go.

Classification 1981 Austrian F1 GP

Pos	#	Driver	Constructor	Car & Engine	Grid	Laps	Led	Time	Pts
1	26	JacquesLaffite	Ligier	Ligier JS17Matra MS81	4	53	15	1:27:36.470	9
2	16	RenéArnoux	Renault	Renault RE30Renault EF1	1	53	12	1:27:41.640+5.170s	6
3	5	NelsonPiquet	Brabham	Brabham BT49CFord DFV	7	53		1:27:43.810+7.340s	4
4	1	AlanJones	Williams	Williams FW07CFord DFV	6	53		1:27:48.510+12.040s	3
5	2	CarlosReutemann	Williams	Williams FW07CFord DFV	5	53		1:28:08.320+31.850s	2
6	7	JohnWatson	McLaren	McLaren MP4/1Ford DFV	12	53		1:29:07.610+1:31.140	1
7	11	Eliode Angelis	Team Lotus	Lotus 87Ford DFV	9	52		+1 lap
8	8	Andreade Cesaris	McLaren	McLaren MP4/1Ford DFV	18	52		+1 lap
9	28	DidierPironi	Ferrari	Ferrari 126CKFerrari 021	8	52		+1 lap
10	32	Jean-PierreJarier	Osella	Osella FA1BFord DFV	14	51		+2 laps
11	17	DerekDaly	March	March 811Ford DFV	19	47		+6 laps
DNF	22	MarioAndretti	Alfa Romeo	Alfa Romeo 179DAlfa Romeo 1260	13	46		Engine
DNF	9	SlimBorgudd	ATS	ATS HGS1Ford DFV	21	44		Brakes
DNF	29	RiccardoPatrese	Arrows	Arrows A3Ford DFV	10	43		Engine
DNF	14	EliseoSalazar	Ensign	Ensign N180BFord DFV	20	43		Oil Pressure
DNF	4	MicheleAlboreto	Tyrrell	Tyrrell 010Ford DFV	22	40		Gearbox
DNF	23	BrunoGiacomelli	Alfa Romeo	Alfa Romeo 179BAlfa Romeo 1260	16	35		Fire
DNF	6	HectorRebaque	Brabham	Brabham BT49CFord DFV	15	32		Clutch
DNF	30	SiegfriedStohr	Arrows	Arrows A3Ford DFV	24	27		Overheating
DNF	15	AlainProst	Renault	Renault RE30Renault EF1	2	26	25	Suspension
DNF	25	PatrickTambay	Ligier	Ligier JS17Matra MS81	17	26		Engine
DNF	12	NigelMansell	Team Lotus	Lotus 87Ford DFV	11	23		Engine
DNF	27	GillesVilleneuve	Ferrari	Ferrari 126CKFerrari 021	3	11	1	Accident
DNF	33	MarcSurer	Theodore	Theodore TY01Ford DFV	23	0		Distributor
DNQ	3	EddieCheever	Tyrrell	Tyrrell 011Ford DFV		0		No Time
DNQ	36	DerekWarwick	Toleman	Toleman TG181Hart 415T		0		No Time
DNQ	35	BrianHenton	Toleman	Toleman TG181Hart 415T		0		No Time
DNQ	31	BeppeGabbiani	Osella	Osella FA1BFord DFV		0		No Time

Fastest lap: 1:37.620 min by Jacques Laffite (Ligier JS17) in lap 47

✅ Check out 1981 F1 Championship Standings
✅ Check out 1981 F1 Teams & Drivers

✅ Check out All Time F1 Drivers Rankings
✅ Check out All Time F1 Driver Records
✅ Check out All Time F1 Teams Rankings

About the author

Leopold

Leopold Pleijsier founded F1-Fansite.com in 2001 and has followed Formula 1 since the early 1980s. He writes about daily F1 news, race weekends, drivers and the sport’s history.

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