1981 BRDC International Trophy Grand Prix | |||
---|---|---|---|
Race details | |||
Date | 29 March 1981 | ||
Official name | 33rd BRDC International Trophy | ||
Location | Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire, Great Britain | ||
Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
Course length | 4.719 km (2.932 mi) | ||
Distance | 47 laps, 221.793 km (137.804 mi) | ||
Weather | Rain [1] | ||
Pole position | |||
Driver | Ralt-Honda | ||
Time | 1:18.59 | ||
Fastest lap | |||
Driver | Geoff Lees | Ralt-Honda | |
Time | 1:22.82 | ||
Podium | |||
First | Ralt-Honda | ||
Second | March-BMW | ||
Third | March-BMW |
The 33rd BRDC International Trophy was a Formula Two motor race held at Silverstone on 29 March 1981. It was the opening race of the 1981 European Formula Two Championship. [1]
The 47-lap race was won by New Zealander Mike Thackwell, driving a works Ralt-Honda. Italian Riccardo Paletti finished second in a March-BMW entered by Onyx Race Engineering, with another Italian, Corrado Fabi, third in a works March-BMW.
A total of 46 F2 cars were entered for the event, however just 31 took part in qualifying. [1]
Mike Thackwell took pole position for Ralt Racing Ltd, in their Ralt-Honda RH6/81, averaging a speed of 133.59 mph. [1]
The race was held over 47 laps on a wet Silverstone Grand Prix circuit. Mike Thackwell took the winner spoils for works Ralt team, driving their Ralt-Honda RH6/81. Thackwell won in a time of 1hr 11:44.67mins., averaging a speed of 115.23 mph. Over 30 seconds behind was the second place car, driven by Riccardo Paletti, in the March Onyx Racing Team’s March-BMW 812. The podium was completed by another Italian, Corrado Fabi, in his Roloil Marlboro Racing/March Racing Ltd-entered March-BMW 812, albeit one lap adrift. [2]
Silverstone Circuit is a motor racing circuit in England, near the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. It is the current home of the British Grand Prix, which it first hosted as the 1948 British Grand Prix. The 1950 British Grand Prix at Silverstone was the first race in the newly created World Championship of Drivers. The race rotated between Silverstone, Aintree and Brands Hatch from 1955 to 1986, but settled permanently at the Silverstone track in 1987. The circuit also hosts the British round of the MotoGP series.
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