1981 Italian Grand Prix
| 1981 Italian Grand Prix | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 13 of 15 in the 1981 Formula One World Championship | |||
| Race details | |||
| Date | 13 September 1981 | ||
| Official name | LII Gran Premio d'Italia | ||
| Location |
Autodromo Nazionale di Monza Monza, Lombardy, Italy | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 5.8 km (3.604 miles) | ||
| Distance | 52 laps, 301.6 km (187.406 miles) | ||
| Weather | Dry and sunny | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Renault | ||
| Time | 1:33.467 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver | Carlos Reutemann | Williams-Ford | |
| Time | 1:37.528 on lap 48 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | Renault | ||
| Second | Williams-Ford | ||
| Third | Williams-Ford | ||
|
Lap leaders | |||
The 1981 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on 13 September 1981. It was the thirteenth race of the 1981 Formula One World Championship.
Formula One returned to Monza after the previous year's Italian Grand Prix had been held at Imola. The 52-lap race was won by Frenchman Alain Prost, who led every lap in his Renault after starting from third position. Australian Alan Jones finished second in a Williams-Ford, some 22 seconds behind, with Argentine teammate Carlos Reutemann third.
Reutemann came into the race tied on points at the top of the Drivers' Championship with Brazilian Nelson Piquet, driving a Brabham-Ford. Piquet suffered a last-lap engine failure which dropped him from third to sixth, giving Reutemann a three-point lead in the championship with two races remaining.