1981 Caesars Palace Grand Prix
The Grand Prix of Las Vegas took place in 1981 as the 15th and final race of the Formula 1 season 1981 in Las Vegas on October 17.
- 3.1 qualifying
- 3.2 race
- 4.1 Drivers' Championship
- 4.2 Constructors' Championship
Reports
Background
After the beginning of the season, the Grand Prix of USA West took place in Long Beach, was for the season finale as in previous years, a Large U.S. East Price in Watkins Glen have been planned. Since this route but no longer met the then-current safety requirements, was looking for an alternative. This was found in the form of a street circuit in the parking lot of the Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. As the city but was not more Western in the Eastern U.S., but as Long Beach, had to be chosen a new name. It was decided to Caesars Palace Grand Prix or the name of the city, which took place in the race. This had previously only given once, namely at the Grand Prix of Pescara 1957.
The rumors that Niki Lauda will return to Formula 1 after two -year break in 1982, were now become a certainty.
Training
The leading with only one point in the standings Carlos Reutemann qualified for the pole position, making him the best starting position to win the world championship, especially since his rival Nelson Piquet finished only fourth place. The reigning world champion Alan Jones, who intended to earn his final Grand Prix this weekend, standing next to his teammates in the first row. He refused, however, to support this in the battle for the World Cup, since he still regarded himself as the number one team and only pursued their own victory ambitions. For the third place Gilles Villeneuve qualified. Alain Prost and John Watson were the third row in front of Patrick Tambay and Bruno Giacomelli.
Race
While Jones took over the leadership, Reutemann still fell at the first corner behind Villeneuve, Prost and Giacomelli back to fifth place. As Villeneuve held the first persecutors noticeably, Jones was able to pull a gap, which led to an unchallenged victory of the Australian in his last race for the time being.
In the third round Villeneuve was overtaken by Prost, in the fourth round of Jacques Laffite John Watson. The two duelists to the world title were at this time in the stands seven and eight out of the points. This situation would Reutemann enough to win the title. However, from the 17th round Piquet launched a comeback that initially brought him to his Kontrahtenten past and finally to the 33rd round to third place forward. Reutemann came under its only up to fifth forward and was expelled shortly afterwards by Nigel Mansell in sixth. On lap 46 displaced him Giacomelli, who had in the meantime fallen to ninth place, again out of the points. In the same lap Prost, who was dropped by a pit stop on the sixth place was again in second place and thus repressed Piquet from third place. Giacomelli and Mansell overtook the title contenders as well, so that it reached the finish line in fifth place and thus received two championship points. Since Reutemann, who had led the standings over large parts of the season to the last, ultimately eighth with a lap behind was no points to the winner, finally won Nelson Piquet his first world title with a points clear.
Not least, the problems within the Williams team have led to the loss of the driver's title. As Alan Jones had refused to support Carlos Reutemann and who agreed majority of the teams it, no change of position of the two in Austria and Italy were arranged. In hindsight, this time quite allowed team orders would probably have led to winning the Argentine.
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).