1981 Spanish Grand Prix

Infobox Grand Prix race report
Type = F1
Country = Spain
Grand Prix = Spanish
Official name = XXVII Gran Premio de España
Date = June 21
Year = 1981
Race_No = 7
Season_No = 15
Location = Circuito Permanente Del Jarama, Jarama, Spain
Course = Permanent racing facility
Course_mi = 2.06
Course_km = 3.312
Distance_laps = 80
Distance_mi = 164.70
Distance_km = 264.96
Weather = Sunny, hot
Pole_Driver = Jacques Laffite
Pole_Team = Ligier-Matra
Pole_Time = 1:13.754cite book |last=Lang |first=Mike |title=Grand Prix! Vol 4 |publisher=Haynes Publishing Group |date=1992 |pages=p40 |isbn=0-85429-733-2]
Pole_Country = France
Fast_Driver = Alan Jones
Fast_Team = Williams-Cosworth
Fast_Time = 1:17.818
Fast_L
cite book |last=Lang |first=Mike |title=Grand Prix! Vol 4 |publisher=Haynes Publishing Group |date=1992 |pages=p43 |isbn=0-85429-733-2]
Fast_Country = Australia
First_Driver = Gilles Villeneuve
First_Team = Ferrari
First_Country = Canada
Second_Driver = Jacques Laffite
Second_Team = Ligier-Matra
Second_Country = France
Third_Driver = John Watson
Third_Team = McLaren-Ford
Third_Country = United Kingdom

The 1981 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on June 21, 1981 at the Circuito Permanente Del Jarama, Jarama, Spain.

ummary

The 1981 Spanish Grand Prix featured the second closest finish ever of a Formula One race: after Gilles Villeneuve's Ferrari, 4 other cars finished in just 1.24 seconds. This was Villeneuve's last victory, often regarded as his tactical masterpiece. [Gerald Donaldson. "Gilles Villeneuve: The Life of the Legendary Racing Driver" (London: Motor Racing Publications, 1996) ISBN 9780947981440]

There were some changes for this race: Eliseo Salazar had left March to join Ensign, replacing Marc Surer. Also, John Player Special sponsorship and livery returned to Team Lotus after a 2-year hiatus.

The pole went to Jacques Laffite on his Ligier-Matra with the two Williams-Cosworth of Alan Jones and Carlos Reutemann second and third ahead of John Watson's McLaren, Alain Prost's Renault and the Alfa Romeo of Bruno Giacomelli. Gilles Villeneuve was seventh.

Race day was unusually hot. At the beginning of the race Jones and Reutemann went into the lead, as Laffite made a poor start. Villeneuve jumped into third place at the first corner, damaging Prost's front wing as he took the position. At the end of the first lap Villeneuve pulled out of Reutemann's slipstream and took second place. Jones began to build a lead but on lap 14 he went off the track, when he was 10 seconds ahead of the Canadian.

This left Villeneuve with Reutemann on his tail. Behind them Watson, Laffite and Elio de Angelis began to close on the dueling leaders. Reutemann was having some trouble with his gearbox and when Laffite arrived behind him there was little the Argentinian could do to stop him from overtaking. Reutemann would later drop behind Watson. The five front-runners became a train of cars, packed together for the remaining laps of the race.

Villeneuve used the power of his Ferrari engine on the straight to gain a little margin and not get overtaken by his rivals, but in the corners they were all over him. Many times Laffite pulled alongside the Canadian as they went out a corner but the Ferrari would stay ahead as the horsepower kicked in. The five remained locked together right to the flag, crossing the line covered by just 1.24 seconds to record the second closest race in the history of Formula One.

Classification

References

"Unless otherwise indicated, all race results are taken from cite web |title=The Official Formula 1 website |url=http://www.formula1.com/results/season/1981/364/ |accessdate=2007-06-16

F1 race report
Name_of_race = Spanish Grand Prix
Year_of_race = 1981
Previous_race_in_season = 1981 Monaco Grand Prix
Next_race_in_season = 1981 French Grand Prix
Previous_year's_race = 1979 Spanish Grand Prix
Next_year's_race = 1986 Spanish Grand Prix