1981 South African Grand Prix Explained

Type:NC
Country:South Africa
Flag Suffix:1928
Grand Prix:South African Grand Prix
Date:7 February
Year:1981
Course:Permanent racing facility
Course Mi:2.550
Course Km:4.104
Distance Laps:77
Distance Mi:196.358
Distance Km:316.008
Weather:Wet/Dry
Pole Driver:Nelson Piquet
Pole Country:BRA
Pole Flag Suffix:1968
Pole Team:Brabham-Ford
Pole Time:1:12.78
Fast Driver:Carlos Reutemann
Fast Team:Williams-Ford
Fast Country:ARG
Fast Time:1:13.61 on Lap 72
First Driver:Carlos Reutemann
First Country:ARG
First Team:Williams-Ford
Second Driver:Nelson Piquet
Second Country:BRA
Second Flag Suffix:1968
Second Team:Brabham-Ford
Third Driver:Elio de Angelis
Third Country:ITA
Third Team:Lotus-Ford

The 1981 South African Grand Prix was a Formula Libre motor race held on 7 February 1981 at Kyalami.

The race was originally scheduled to be the opening round of the 1981 FIA Formula One World Championship. However, the ongoing war between Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile (FISA) and the Formula One Constructors' Association (FOCA) resulted in FISA insisting on a date change which was not acceptable to the race organisers.[1] Approval was ultimately given for the race to go ahead on its original date, but as a Formula Libre race rather than as a round of the Formula One World Championship. The downgraded race was supported by the teams affiliated with FOCA, but not by the manufacturer teams (Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Ligier, Osella and Renault), all of whom were aligned with FISA. (Toleman was experiencing troubles with its overweight car and would not debut until the San Marino Grand Prix). The eleven teams present all fielded cars fitted with sliding side skirts, aerodynamic devices which were illegal in Formula One for 1981 but acceptable under Formula Libre regulations. The absence of the manufacturer teams meant that all 19 cars in the race were powered by Ford Cosworth engines. Due to tyre manufacturer Goodyear's retirement from the sport at the end of the previous season and Michelin's alignment with FISA, the cars ran equipped with old Avon tyres supplied by Bernie Ecclestone.[2]

The race was eventually won by Carlos Reutemann, driving a Williams, with Nelson Piquet second in a Brabham and Elio de Angelis third in a Lotus.

Classification

Qualifying

Pos. No. Driver Constructor Q1 Q2 Gap
15 Nelson PiquetBrabham-Ford1:12.941:12.78 —
22 Carlos ReutemannWilliams-Ford1:12.98-+0.20
31 Alan JonesWilliams-Ford1:13.781:13.28+0.50
420 Keke RosbergFittipaldi-Ford1:14.451:13.29+0.51
511 Elio de AngelisLotus-Ford1:14.001:13.47+0.69
629 Riccardo PatreseArrows-Ford1:15.031:14.07+1.29
76 Ricardo ZuninoBrabham-Ford1:14.711:14.35+1.57
812 Nigel MansellLotus-Ford1:14.381:14.48+1.60
98 Andrea de CesarisMcLaren-Ford1:14.911:14.39+1.61
109 Jan LammersATS-Ford1:14.931:14.85+2.07
1130 Siegfried StohrArrows-Ford1:16.161:14.93+2.15
123 Eddie CheeverTyrrell-Ford1:14.951:15.32+2.17
1321 Chico SerraFittipaldi-Ford1:15.06-+2.28
1414 Marc SurerEnsign-Ford1:15.631:15.18+2.40
157 John WatsonMcLaren-Ford1:15.251:15.85+2.47
164 Desire WilsonTyrrell-Ford1:15.561:16.22+2.78
1717 Derek DalyMarch-Ford1:16.80-+4.02
1833 Geoff LeesTheodore-Ford1:17.391:17.08+4.30
1918 Eliseo SalazarMarch-Ford---
Source:[3]

Race

Driver Constructor Laps Time/Retired Qual
1 Carlos ReutemannWilliams-Ford771.44:54.032
2 Nelson PiquetBrabham-Ford77+ 20.21
3 Elio de AngelisLotus-Ford77+ 1:06.035
4 Keke RosbergFittipaldi-Ford76+ 1 Lap4
5 John WatsonMcLaren-Ford76+ 1 Lap15
6 Riccardo PatreseArrows-Ford76+ 1 Lap6
7 Eddie CheeverTyrrell-Ford76+ 1 Lap12
8 Ricardo ZuninoBrabham-Ford75+ 2 Laps7
9 Chico SerraFittipaldi-Ford75+ 2 Laps13
10 Nigel MansellLotus-Ford74+ 3 Laps8
11 Derek DalyMarch-Ford74+ 3 Laps17
Ret Alan JonesWilliams-Ford62Skirt3
Ret Marc SurerEnsign-Ford58Battery14
Ret Andrea de CesarisMcLaren-Ford54Accident9
Ret Desiré WilsonTyrrell-Ford51Accident16
Ret Eliseo SalazarMarch-Ford32Gearbox19
Ret Jan LammersATS-Ford16Brakes10
Ret Siegfried StohrArrows-Ford12Engine11
Ret Geoff LeesTheodore-Ford11Accident18

References

1981 SA Grand Prix Dieter Rencken RacingLines https://www.racefans.net/2019/01/23/wpdc-the-breakaway-threat-which-set-the-template-for-modern-f1/

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The one that didn't count . forix.autosport.com . 12 February 2010.
  2. Web site: Bernie Ecclestone timeline . ESPN . Laurence . Edmondson . 31 October 2010 . 9 April 2024.
  3. Web site: 1981 South African Grand Prix – Race Results & History – GP Archive. GPArchive.com. 7 February 1981 . 8 February 2021.