Published evidence
Grand Prix de France 1981 · race
A historical profile with source-linked evidence. Further research is in progress.
THE HISTORICAL RECORD
Profile & context
- Name
- Grand Prix de France 1981 · race
PROVENANCE
Sources behind this page
F1DB
v2026.17.0 · session/350-race
Original reference ↗Historical source & scope
F1DB v2026.17.0 · CC BY 4.0. Normalisation, links and calculations by MotorPedia. Original source observations retained.
Source-reported facts are not independent historical confirmation. Missing times and points remain unknown; source-rounded points retain their published precision. Constructor, entrant and team identities are kept distinct.
Grand Prix context
Grand Prix de France 1981 · Dijon-Prenois
Technical formula: Formula 1. World Championship membership is separate from technical regulations.
1981 Formula 1 World Championship · round 8
Race classification
| Position | Driver | Constructor | Recorded details | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alain Prost | Renault | 1:35:48.130 · 80 laps · renault | 9 |
| 2 | John Watson | McLaren | 1:35:50.420 · 80 laps · ford | 6 |
| 3 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 1:36:12.350 · 80 laps · ford | 4 |
| 4 | René Arnoux | Renault | 1:36:30.430 · 80 laps · renault | 3 |
| 5 | Didier Pironi | Ferrari | Time not recorded · 79 laps · ferrari | 2 |
| 6 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | Time not recorded · 79 laps · ford | 1 |
| 7 | Nigel Mansell | Lotus | Time not recorded · 79 laps · ford | Unknown / not applicable |
| 8 | Mario Andretti | Alfa Romeo | Time not recorded · 79 laps · alfa-romeo | Unknown / not applicable |
| 9 | Héctor Rebaque | Brabham | Time not recorded · 78 laps · ford | Unknown / not applicable |
| 10 | Carlos Reutemann | Williams | Time not recorded · 78 laps · ford | Unknown / not applicable |
| 11 | Andrea de Cesaris | McLaren | Time not recorded · 78 laps · ford | Unknown / not applicable |
| 12 | Marc Surer | Theodore | Time not recorded · 78 laps · ford | Unknown / not applicable |
| 13 | Eddie Cheever | Tyrrell | Time not recorded · 77 laps · ford | Unknown / not applicable |
| 14 | Riccardo Patrese | Arrows | Time not recorded · 77 laps · ford | Unknown / not applicable |
| 15 | Bruno Giacomelli | Alfa Romeo | Time not recorded · 77 laps · alfa-romeo | Unknown / not applicable |
| 16 | Michele Alboreto | Tyrrell | Time not recorded · 77 laps · ford | Unknown / not applicable |
| 17 | Alan Jones | Williams | Time not recorded · 76 laps · ford | Unknown / not applicable |
| DNF | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | Suspension · Time not recorded · 57 laps · matra | Unknown / not applicable |
| DNF | Derek Daly | March | Engine · Time not recorded · 55 laps · ford | Unknown / not applicable |
| DNF | Gilles Villeneuve | Ferrari | Electrical · Time not recorded · 41 laps · ferrari | Unknown / not applicable |
| DNF | Patrick Tambay | Ligier | Wheel bearing · Time not recorded · 30 laps · matra | Unknown / not applicable |
| DNF | Keke Rosberg | Fittipaldi | Suspension · Time not recorded · 11 laps · ford | Unknown / not applicable |
| DNF | Eliseo Salazar | Ensign | Suspension · Time not recorded · 6 laps · ford | Unknown / not applicable |
| DNS | Chico Serra | Fittipaldi | Time not recorded · ford | Unknown / not applicable |
| DNQ | Siegfried Stohr | Arrows | Time not recorded · ford | Unknown / not applicable |
| DNQ | Brian Henton | Toleman | Time not recorded · hart | Unknown / not applicable |
| DNQ | Slim Borgudd | ATS | Time not recorded · ford | Unknown / not applicable |
| DNQ | Beppe Gabbiani | Osella | Time not recorded · ford | Unknown / not applicable |
| DNQ | Derek Warwick | Toleman | Time not recorded · hart | Unknown / not applicable |
Qualifying
| Position | Driver | Constructor | Recorded details | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | René Arnoux | Renault | 1:05.950 · renault | |
| 2 | John Watson | McLaren | 1:06.360 · ford | |
| 3 | Alain Prost | Renault | 1:06.360 · renault | |
| 4 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 1:06.910 · ford | |
| 5 | Andrea de Cesaris | McLaren | 1:07.030 · ford | |
| 6 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 1:07.090 · matra | |
| 7 | Carlos Reutemann | Williams | 1:07.420 · ford | |
| 8 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 1:07.520 · ford | |
| 9 | Alan Jones | Williams | 1:07.530 · ford | |
| 10 | Mario Andretti | Alfa Romeo | 1:07.560 · alfa-romeo | |
| 11 | Gilles Villeneuve | Ferrari | 1:07.600 · ferrari | |
| 12 | Bruno Giacomelli | Alfa Romeo | 1:07.630 · alfa-romeo | |
| 13 | Nigel Mansell | Lotus | 1:07.720 · ford | |
| 14 | Didier Pironi | Ferrari | 1:08.090 · ferrari | |
| 15 | Héctor Rebaque | Brabham | 1:08.210 · ford | |
| 16 | Patrick Tambay | Ligier | 1:08.470 · matra | |
| 17 | Keke Rosberg | Fittipaldi | 1:09.350 · ford | |
| 18 | Riccardo Patrese | Arrows | 1:09.370 · ford | |
| 19 | Eddie Cheever | Tyrrell | 1:09.880 · ford | |
| 20 | Derek Daly | March | 1:09.940 · ford | |
| 21 | Marc Surer | Theodore | 1:10.210 · ford | |
| 22 | Eliseo Salazar | Ensign | 1:10.500 · ford | |
| 23 | Michele Alboreto | Tyrrell | 1:10.640 · ford | |
| 24 | Chico Serra | Fittipaldi | 1:10.860 · ford | |
| 25 | Siegfried Stohr | Arrows | 1:11.240 · ford | |
| 26 | Brian Henton | Toleman | 1:11.280 · hart | |
| 27 | Slim Borgudd | ATS | 1:12.200 · ford | |
| 28 | Beppe Gabbiani | Osella | 1:12.240 · ford | |
| 29 | Derek Warwick | Toleman | 1:13.650 · hart |
Starting grid
| Position | Driver | Constructor | Recorded details | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | René Arnoux | Renault | 1:05.950 · renault | |
| 2 | John Watson | McLaren | 1:06.360 · ford | |
| 3 | Alain Prost | Renault | 1:06.360 · renault | |
| 4 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 1:06.910 · ford | |
| 5 | Andrea de Cesaris | McLaren | 1:07.030 · ford | |
| 6 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 1:07.090 · matra | |
| 7 | Carlos Reutemann | Williams | 1:07.420 · ford | |
| 8 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 1:07.520 · ford | |
| 9 | Alan Jones | Williams | 1:07.530 · ford | |
| 10 | Mario Andretti | Alfa Romeo | 1:07.560 · alfa-romeo | |
| 11 | Gilles Villeneuve | Ferrari | 1:07.600 · ferrari | |
| 12 | Bruno Giacomelli | Alfa Romeo | 1:07.630 · alfa-romeo | |
| 13 | Nigel Mansell | Lotus | 1:07.720 · ford | |
| 14 | Didier Pironi | Ferrari | 1:08.090 · ferrari | |
| 15 | Héctor Rebaque | Brabham | 1:08.210 · ford | |
| 16 | Patrick Tambay | Ligier | 1:08.470 · matra | |
| 17 | Keke Rosberg | Fittipaldi | 1:09.350 · ford | |
| 18 | Riccardo Patrese | Arrows | 1:09.370 · ford | |
| 19 | Eddie Cheever | Tyrrell | 1:09.880 · ford | |
| 20 | Derek Daly | March | 1:09.940 · ford | |
| 21 | Marc Surer | Theodore | 1:10.210 · ford | |
| 22 | Eliseo Salazar | Ensign | 1:10.500 · ford | |
| 23 | Michele Alboreto | Tyrrell | 1:10.640 · ford |
Championship progression
| Position | Driver | Constructor | Recorded details | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carlos Reutemann | Not applicable / not recorded | Time not recorded | 37 |
| 2 | Nelson Piquet | Not applicable / not recorded | Time not recorded | 26 |
| 3 | Alan Jones | Not applicable / not recorded | Time not recorded | 24 |
| 4 | Gilles Villeneuve | Not applicable / not recorded | Time not recorded | 21 |
| 5 | Jacques Laffite | Not applicable / not recorded | Time not recorded | 17 |
| 6 | Alain Prost | Not applicable / not recorded | Time not recorded | 13 |
| 7 | Riccardo Patrese | Not applicable / not recorded | Time not recorded | 10 |
| 7 | John Watson | Not applicable / not recorded | Time not recorded | 10 |
| 9 | Elio de Angelis | Not applicable / not recorded | Time not recorded | 8 |
| 10 | Didier Pironi | Not applicable / not recorded | Time not recorded | 7 |
| 11 | Nigel Mansell | Not applicable / not recorded | Time not recorded | 5 |
| 12 | René Arnoux | Not applicable / not recorded | Time not recorded | 5 |
| 13 | Eddie Cheever | Not applicable / not recorded | Time not recorded | 5 |
| 14 | Marc Surer | Not applicable / not recorded | Time not recorded | 4 |
| 15 | Mario Andretti | Not applicable / not recorded | Time not recorded | 3 |
| 15 | Héctor Rebaque | Not applicable / not recorded | Time not recorded | 3 |
| 17 | Patrick Tambay | Not applicable / not recorded | Time not recorded | 1 |
| 17 | Andrea de Cesaris | Not applicable / not recorded | Time not recorded | 1 |