1981 Austrian Grand Prix
The Grand Prix of Austria 1981 took place on August 16 held at the Austria ring near Zeltweg and was the eleventh round of the Formula 1 season 1981.
- 3.1 qualifying
- 3.2 race
- 4.1 Drivers' Championship
- 4.2 Constructors' Championship
Reports
Background
With the exception of the financially troubled Fittipaldi team that had a sufficient number engines available, went to an unchanged compared to the Grand Prix of Germany starting field for the eleventh World Cup race of the season.
Training
As already two weeks earlier at Hockenheim occupied the two Renault drivers on the front row, but in reverse order with René Arnoux on pole position ahead of Alain Prost. The also equipped with a turbo engine Ferrari driver Gilles Villeneuve followed in third place ahead of Jacques Laffite Ligier on. The Williams team -mate Carlos Reutemann and Alan Jones were the third row.
Race
At the start Villeneuve overtook both Renault and went before them as well as his place of eight from also very well started teammate Didier Pironi in the lead. Through a mistake Villeneuve, who threw him back to sixth place, the two Renault drivers arrived, however, already during the second round back to their original positions and were allowed to settle from the rest of the field. This was, among other things favored by the now third place Pironi seemed the other pursuers clearly reside on its uncompetitive car. As in the ninth round Laffite as first found its way past his compatriot to Prost and Arnoux had already moved out at the top of a lead of around 20 seconds.
Laffite was gradually able to shorten the course of further rounds of the projection of the leader, followed by Piquet and the two Williams drivers Jones and Reutemann, who had in the meantime also drawn past Pironi. In the 39th lap he overtook Arnoux and went by in the lead, since Prost had beforehand due to a suspension damage.
Behind Laffite, Arnoux and Piquet occupied Jones and Reutemann positions five and six. John Watson was sixth in the final championship point of the day.
Message list
Classifications
Qualifying
Race
WM stands after the race
The first six of the race were 9, 6, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point (s).