1981 Belgian Grand Prix

Last updated
1981 Belgian Grand Prix
Race 5 of 15 in the 1981 Formula One World Championship
Circuit Zolder-1975-1985.svg
Race details
Date17 May 1981
Location Circuit Zolder, Heusden-Zolder, Belgium
Course length 4.262 km (2.648 miles)
Distance 54 laps, 230.148 km (143.007 miles)
Scheduled distance 70 laps, 298.340 km (185.380 miles)
Weather Dry, then wet at the end
Pole position
Driver Williams-Ford
Time 1:22.28
Fastest lap
Driver Flag of Argentina.svg Carlos Reutemann Williams-Ford
Time 1:23.30 on lap 37
Podium
First Williams-Ford
Second Ligier-Matra
Third Lotus-Ford
Lap leaders
  • 1981 Belgian Grand Prix

The 1981 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Zolder on 17 May 1981. [1] It was the fifth race of the 1981 Formula One World Championship. It was the last of 12 victories for Carlos Reutemann and the last win for an Argentine driver as of 2025. It was also the first of 59 podiums for 1992 World Champion Nigel Mansell.

Contents

Mechanic safety and chaotic first race

The race was marred by two serious incidents involving mechanics, one fatal. In Friday practice a mechanic from the Osella team, Giovanni Amadeo, stumbled off the pitwall into the path of the Williams of Carlos Reutemann. Reutemann was unable to avoid the mechanic, who suffered a fractured skull. He died from his injuries on the Monday after the race. Before the start of the race the mechanics of all the teams staged a protest over the safety measures protecting them, which was soon joined by several drivers (Villeneuve, Prost, Laffite, Pironi and Scheckter) [2] who left their cars. According to 1976 World Champion James Hunt who was commentating live for BBC in Sunday Grandstand , the protest was largely over the narrow pits at Zolder and that the pits were overcrowded, especially with people who were nothing more than 'hangers on' who were there to be seen and not for the actual racing.

The race organisers nevertheless flagged the warm-up lap at the normal time, leaving several cars delayed on the grid, either stalled or with their cockpits vacant. The resulting chaos when the grid formed up again at the end of this lap was exacerbated when Nelson Piquet missed his starting position and was sent round on another lap, with the other cars being held in position. As the cars began to overheat, several drivers turned off their engines, among them Arrows driver Riccardo Patrese, expecting another formation lap due to Piquet's error. However, the organisers began the start sequence as usual once Piquet had regained his position. Patrese was unable to restart his car and waved his arms to signal that he could not take the start. His mechanic, Dave Luckett, came onto the track to restart the car from behind. As he did so, the Clerk of the Course had already started the lighting sequence to start the race, and the race went ahead despite his presence and Patrese's gesticulations. The other Arrows driver, Siegfried Stohr, ploughed into the back of his teammate's car, hitting Luckett. Luckett suffered a broken leg and lacerations but survived the incident. The race continued, and as the field was about to start the second lap, Stohr's disabled car was still on the circuit, and some of the furious marshals, who did not have the official authority to stop the race jumped onto the track and frantically waved at the drivers to stop while the cars passed by with very little space on the narrow track. The confused drivers waved back at the marshals, and on the next lap the drivers did stop at their own accord.

As a result of these events, a new rule was introduced forbidding mechanics from being on the grid within fifteen seconds of the formation lap, and the race starter would use greater caution. [3]

Race report

In the race, Reutemann was passed by Didier Pironi going into the first corner. Then Alan Jones nudged off Nelson Piquet at the early stages of the race and Piquet crashed into some catch fencing at the chicane. A few laps later, Jones's gearbox failed, and he ploughed into the barriers and badly burned his left thigh after the gearbox oil leaked into his cockpit. Following Jones's retirement, Piquet, still furious after their previous incident, stormed to the Williams garage and had an altercation with Jones and the Williams personnel. Pironi had fallen back and after Jones's accident, Reutemann took the lead, keeping it until the race was called off early because of rain starting to fall on the track. It was his second victory of the season and the 12th and ultimately final victory of his career.

Classification

Qualifying

PosNoDriverConstructorQ1Q2Gap
12 Flag of Argentina.svg Carlos Reutemann Williams-Ford 1:22.281:36.27 
25 Flag of Brazil (1968-1992).svg Nelson Piquet Brabham-Ford 1:23.13no time+0.85
328 Flag of France.svg Didier Pironi Ferrari 1:23.471:36.76+1.19
429 Flag of Italy.svg Riccardo Patrese Arrows-Ford 1:23.671:38.28+1.39
57 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg John Watson McLaren-Ford 1:23.731:30.92+1.45
61 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alan Jones Williams-Ford 1:23.821:27.43+1.54
727 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Gilles Villeneuve Ferrari 1:23.941:27.33+1.66
83 Flag of the United States.svg Eddie Cheever Tyrrell-Ford 1:24.381:31.00+2.10
926 Flag of France.svg Jacques Laffite Ligier-Matra 1:24.411:44.07+2.13
1012 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Nigel Mansell Lotus-Ford 1:24.44no time+2.16
1120 Flag of Finland.svg Keke Rosberg Fittipaldi-Ford 1:24.46no time+2.18
1215 Flag of France.svg Alain Prost Renault 1:24.631:43.35+2.35
1330 Flag of Italy.svg Siegfried Stohr Arrows-Ford 1:24.66no time+2.38
1411 Flag of Italy.svg Elio de Angelis Lotus-Ford 1:24.96no time+2.68
1514 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Marc Surer Ensign-Ford 1:25.19no time+2.91
1625 Flag of France.svg Jean-Pierre Jabouille Ligier-Matra 1:25.281:38.87+3.00
1723 Flag of Italy.svg Bruno Giacomelli Alfa Romeo 1:25.311:37.77+3.03
1822 Flag of the United States.svg Mario Andretti Alfa Romeo 1:25.561:32.17+3.28
194 Flag of Italy.svg Michele Alboreto Tyrrell-Ford 1:25.911:32.21+3.63
2021 Flag of Brazil (1968-1992).svg Chico Serra Fittipaldi-Ford 1:25.93no time+3.65
216 Flag of Mexico.svg Héctor Rebaque Brabham-Ford 1:26.522:49.14+4.24
2232 Flag of Italy.svg Beppe Gabbiani Osella-Ford 1:26.69no time+4.41
238 Flag of Italy.svg Andrea de Cesaris McLaren-Ford 1:26.951:30.99+4.67
2431 Flag of Italy.svg Piercarlo Ghinzani Osella-Ford 1:27.48no time+5.20
2516 Flag of France.svg René Arnoux Renault 1:27.931:30.71+5.65
2618 Flag of Chile.svg Eliseo Salazar March-Ford 1:28.381:35.66+6.10
279 Flag of Sweden.svg Slim Borgudd ATS-Ford 1:28.981:35.79+6.70
2833 Flag of France.svg Patrick Tambay Theodore-Ford no time1:32.47+10.19
2936 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Derek Warwick Toleman-Hart 1:35.97no time+13.69
3035 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Brian Henton Toleman-Hart 1:36.371:42.95+14.09
31†17 Flag of Ireland.svg Derek Daly March-Ford    
Source: [4]

Race

PosNoDriverConstructorTyreLapsTime/RetiredGridPoints
12 Flag of Argentina.svg Carlos Reutemann Williams-Ford M 541:16:31.6119
226 Flag of France.svg Jacques Laffite Ligier-Matra M 54+ 36.0696
312 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Nigel Mansell Lotus-Ford M 54+ 43.69104
427 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Gilles Villeneuve Ferrari M 54+ 47.6473
511 Flag of Italy.svg Elio de Angelis Lotus-Ford M 54+ 49.20142
63 Flag of the United States.svg Eddie Cheever Tyrrell-Ford M 54+ 52.5181
77 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg John Watson McLaren-Ford M 54+ 1:01.665
828 Flag of France.svg Didier Pironi Ferrari M 54+ 1:32.043
923 Flag of Italy.svg Bruno Giacomelli Alfa Romeo M 54+ 1:35.5817
1022 Flag of the United States.svg Mario Andretti Alfa Romeo M 53+ 1 Lap18
1114 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Marc Surer Ensign-Ford M 52+ 2 Laps15
124 Flag of Italy.svg Michele Alboreto Tyrrell-Ford M 52+ 2 Laps19
1331 Flag of Italy.svg Piercarlo Ghinzani Osella-Ford M 50+ 4 Laps24
Ret6 Flag of Mexico.svg Héctor Rebaque Brabham-Ford M 39Accident21
Ret25 Flag of France.svg Jean-Pierre Jabouille Ligier-Matra M 35Transmission16
Ret21 Flag of Brazil (1968-1992).svg Chico Serra Fittipaldi-Ford M 29Engine20
Ret32 Flag of Italy.svg Beppe Gabbiani Osella-Ford M 22Engine22
Ret1 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alan Jones Williams-Ford M 19Accident6
Ret8 Flag of Italy.svg Andrea de Cesaris McLaren-Ford M 11Gearbox23
Ret5 Flag of Brazil (1968-1992).svg Nelson Piquet Brabham-Ford M 10Accident2
Ret20 Flag of Finland.svg Keke Rosberg Fittipaldi-Ford A 10Gearbox11
Ret15 Flag of France.svg Alain Prost Renault M 2Clutch12
Ret29 Flag of Italy.svg Riccardo Patrese Arrows-Ford M 0Collision4
Ret30 Flag of Italy.svg Siegfried Stohr Arrows-Ford M 0Collision13
DNQ18 Flag of Ireland.svg Derek Daly March-Ford M
DNQ16 Flag of France.svg René Arnoux Renault M
DNQ17 Flag of Chile.svg Eliseo Salazar March-Ford M
DNQ9 Flag of Sweden.svg Slim Borgudd ATS-Ford M
DNQ33 Flag of France.svg Patrick Tambay Theodore-Ford M
DNQ36 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Derek Warwick Toleman-Hart P
DNQ35 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Brian Henton Toleman-Hart P
Source: [5] [6]

Notes

Championship standings after the race

References

  1. "1981 Belgian Grand Prix Entry list".
  2. Sopeña, German. "Reutemann se llevó todo". F1-Web. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
  3. "Blighted by restart chaos". forix.com. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
  4. Hamilton, Maurice, ed. (1981). AUTOCOURSE 1981–82. Hazleton Publishing Ltd. p. 126. ISBN   0-905138-17-1.
  5. "1981 Belgian Grand Prix". formula1.com. Archived from the original on 16 May 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  6. "1981 Belgian Grand Prix - Race Results & History - GP Archive". GPArchive.com. 17 May 1981. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  7. 1 2 "Belgium 1981 - Championship • STATS F1". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
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FIA Formula One World Championship
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1981 Monaco Grand Prix
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1980 Belgian Grand Prix
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1982 Belgian Grand Prix