1981 Australian Grand Prix

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1981 Australian Grand Prix
Formula Pacific race
Race details
Date8 November 1981
Official name XLVI National Panasonic Australian Grand Prix
Location Calder Park Raceway, Melbourne, Victoria
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 1.609 km (1.000 miles)
Distance 100 laps, 160.9 km (100 miles)
Weather Sunny
Pole position
Driver Ralt-Ford
Time 0'39.2
Fastest lap
Driver Flag of Brazil.svg Roberto Moreno Ralt-Ford
Time 0'39.8
Podium
First Ralt-Ford
Second Ralt-Ford
Third Ralt-Ford

The 1981 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula Pacific motor race held at Calder Park Raceway in Victoria, Australia on 8 November 1981.

Contents

It was the forty sixth Australian Grand Prix and the first to be restricted to Formula Pacific racing cars. It was the first AGP since 1968 to feature two or more current or past World Drivers' Champions with reigning 1981 World Champion Nelson Piquet of Brazil and Australia's 1980 World Champion Alan Jones both in the field.

The race was won by 22-year-old Roberto Moreno by over a lap from Nelson Piquet with Australian Geoff Brabham finishing third. The top three drivers all drove Ralt RT4's (13 of the 20 starters were in fact driving the 1.6L Ford powered RT4's). To actually be able to compete in the Grand Prix Moreno needed five endorsements before the race to be able to obtain his FIA Super Licence, the first endorsement coming from Calder Park Clerk of Course Ken Smith.

Defending race winner Alan Jones failed to finish after transmission failure in his RT4 six laps from the finish while in second place. The first resident Australian driver home was another ex-Formula One driver and future touring car star Larry Perkins who finished fourth, one lap behind Moreno.

Classification

Results as follows: [1]

Qualifying

PosNoDriverCarQualGap
119 Flag of Brazil.svg Roberto Moreno Ralt RT4 Ford 0:39.2
227 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alan Jones Ralt RT4 Ford0:39.2+0.0
39 Flag of Brazil.svg Nelson Piquet Ralt RT4 Ford0:39.3+0.1
44 Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Bowe Ralt RT4 Ford0:39.6+0.4
562 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bruce Allison Ralt RT4 Ford0:39.8+0.6
626 Flag of France.svg Jacques Laffite Ralt RT4 Ford0:39.8+0.6
712 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Geoff Brabham Ralt RT4 Ford0:39.9+0.7
871 Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Smith Ralt RT4 Ford0:39.9+0.7
93 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Larry Perkins Ralt RT4 Ford0:40.0+0.8
106 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ray Mallock Ralt RT4 Ford0:40.2+1.0
115 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Andrew Miedecke Ralt RT4 Ford0:40.2+1.0
1284 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alfredo Costanzo Tiga FA81 Ford0:40.3+1.1
132 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Charlie O'Brien Ralt RT4 Ford0:40.4+1.2
1418 Flag of New Zealand.svg David Oxton Ralt RT4 Ford0:40.6+1.4
1516 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Lucio Cesario Ralt RT3 Volkswagen Golf 0:40.7+1.5
1683 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Larner Kaditcha Ford0:40.7+1.5
177 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Williamson Toleman TA860 Toyota 0:40.9+1.7
1877 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mike Quinn Galloway HG1 Ford0:41.4+2.2
1911 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ron Barnacle Ralt RT1 Ford0:41.8+2.6
2048 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ray Hangar March 77B Ford0:42.5+3.3
2136 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Creasy Birrana 273 Ford0:43.1+3.9

Race

Roberto Moreno won the race driving a Ralt RT4 similar to that pictured above Ralt RT4 of Sean Whelan.jpg
Roberto Moreno won the race driving a Ralt RT4 similar to that pictured above
PosNo.DriverCarEntrant [2] LapsTime
119 Flag of Brazil.svg Roberto Moreno Ralt RT4 Ford Graham Watson Motor Racing Pty Ltd1001h 07m 39.2s
29 Flag of Brazil.svg Nelson Piquet Ralt RT4 FordGraham Watson Motor Racing Pty Ltd99
312 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Geoff Brabham Ralt RT4 FordG Brabham99
43 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Larry Perkins Ralt RT4 FordL Perkins99
55 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Andrew Miedecke Ralt RT4 FordAW Miedecke99
618 Flag of New Zealand.svg David Oxton Ralt RT4 FordOxton Motors98
76 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ray Mallock Ralt RT4 FordCliff Smith Racing98
862 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bruce Allison Ralt RT4 FordB Allison98
92 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Charlie O'Brien Ralt RT4 FordCitizen Watches Australia98
1084 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alfredo Costanzo Tiga FA81 FordPorsche Cars Australia97
1183 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Larner Kaditcha FordPaul England97
1271 Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Smith Ralt RT4 FordOSCL96
1311 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ron Barnacle Ralt RT1 FordNissalco Garage Equipment90
1448 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ray Hangar March 77B FordR Hanger87
Ret27 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alan Jones Ralt RT4 Ford Theodore Racing 93transmission
Ret26 Flag of France.svg Jacques Laffite Ralt RT4 FordJ Laffite43oil line
Ret7 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Williamson Toleman TA860 Toyota Toyota Dealer Team40accident
Ret4 Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Bowe Ralt RT4 FordChris Leach Racing15water pump belt
Ret16 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Lucio Cesario Ralt RT3 Volkswagen Golf Formula One Automotive10broken valve spring
Ret36 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Creasy Birrana 273 FordR Creasy6spin
DNS77 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mike Quinn Galloway HG1 FordPeter Williamson Pty Ltdgearbox input shaft

Notes

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Wilson, Stewart (1986). "1981". In Howard, Graham (ed.). The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix. Gordon, NSW: R & T Publishing. pp. 448–454. ISBN   0-9588464-0-5.
  2. Program, National Panasonic Australian Grand Prix, Calder Raceway, 7–8th November 1981
Preceded by Australian Grand Prix
1981
Succeeded by