The 1981 World Rally Championship was the ninth season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) World Rally Championship (WRC). The season consisted of 12 rallies. While this number was the same as the previous year, one change was made to the schedule, replacing New Zealand with the Brazil.
The 1981 World Rally Championship for Drivers was won by Ari Vatanen driving a Rothmans Rally Team Ford Escort RS1800, the only time a privateer team has won the Drivers' Championship until 2017. The Makes' Championship was won by Talbot with their Sunbeam Lotus. It also saw the beginning of a new era in the sport with the arrival of the Audi Quattro, the first four-wheel drive rally car. Initially regarded as too heavy and complex for rally stages, it proved its worth with three wins in its debut season, including a maiden victory for Michèle Mouton at the Rallye Sanremo, the only woman to win a WRC event. __TOC__
Calendar
Rd.Start dateFinish dateRallyRally headquartersSurfaceStagesDistancePoints124 January30 January 49th Rallye Automobile Monte-CarloMonte CarloMixed32750 kmDrivers & Manufacturers213 February15 February 31st International Swedish RallyKarlstad, Värmland CountySnow25369 kmDrivers only34 March7 March 15th Rallye de Portugal - Vinho do PortoEstoril, LisbonMixed46678 kmDrivers & Manufacturers416 April20 April 29th Marlboro Safari RallyNairobiGravelN/A4750 kmDrivers & Manufacturers530 April2 May 25th Tour de Corse - Rallye de FranceAjaccio, CorsicaTarmac241144.6 kmDrivers & Manufacturers61 June4 June 28th Acropolis RallyAthensGravel57995.59 kmDrivers & Manufacturers718 July23 July 3rd Rally CodasurTucumánGravel171346.6 kmDrivers & Manufacturers86 August8 August 3rd Marlboro Rallye do BrasilSão PauloGravel21714 kmDrivers only928 August30 August 31st Jyväskylän Suurajot - Rally of the 1000 LakesJyväskylä, Central FinlandGravel48453.09 kmDrivers & Manufacturers105 October10 October 23rd Rallye SanremoSanremo, LiguriaMixed61751.06 kmDrivers & Manufacturers1126 October30 October 13th Rallye Cote d'IvoireAbidjanGravelN/A5087 kmDrivers & Manufacturers1222 November24 November 37th Lombard RAC RallyChester, CheshireGravel65746.74 kmDrivers & ManufacturersSources:
Teams and drivers Team Constructor Car Drivers Rounds David Sutton Motorsport Ford Escort RS 1800 Björn Waldegård 1 Raymond Rué 1, 3 Lasse Lampi 2, 9, 12 Bror Danielsson 2 Yves Loubet 5 Domingo De Vitta 7–8 Roger Clark 12 Fiat Auto Torino Fiat 131 Abarth Markku Alén 1, 3, 6, 9–10 Attilio Bettega 1, 3, 6, 10 Dario Cerrato 1, 3, 10 Rob Collinge 4 Kalevi Aho 9 Rothmans Rally Team Ford Escort RS 1800 Ari Vatanen 1–3, 6–12 Pentti Airikkala 2, 9, 12 Malcolm Wilson 3, 6, 12 John Taylor 11 Team Chardonnet Lancia Stratos HF Bernard Darniche 1, 5 Markku Alén 12 Audi Sport Audi Quattro Hannu Mikkola 1–3, 5–6, 9–10, 12 Michèle Mouton 1, 3, 5–6, 9–10, 12 Franz Wittmann 6, 9 Michele Cinotto 10 Adolphe Choteau 11 Opel Euro Händler Team Opel Opel Ascona 400 Jochi Kleint 1, 4, 6 Anders Kulläng 1–4 Björn Johansson 2, 9, 12 Jimmy McRae 12 Malcolm Patrick 12 Talbot Sport Talbot Sunbeam Lotus Henri Toivonen 1, 3, 5–6, 9–10, 12 Guy Fréquelin 1, 3, 5–8, 10, 12 Gunnar Fagerlind 2, 12 Stig Blomqvist 9, 12 Russell Brookes 12 Renault Elf Renault Renault 5 Turbo Jean Ragnotti 1, 5, 12 Bruno Saby 1, 5, 12 Alain Coppier 1, 5 Pierre-Louis Moreau 5 Jean-Pierre Manzagol 5 Porsche Alméras Porsche Porsche 911 SC Jean-Luc Thérier 1, 3, 5, 10 Jacques Alméras 1, 5 Per Eklund 2, 9 Francis Vincent 5 Walter Röhrl 10 Team Datsun Europe Datsun 160JViolet GT Rauno Aaltonen 1, 4 Sören Nilsson 2, 12 Timo Salonen 3–7, 9–12 Tony Pond 3, 5, 10 Santinho Mendes 3 Shekhar Mehta 4, 6–8, 11 John Hellier 4 Mike Kirkland 4 Terry Kaby 5 George Moschous 6 Ricardo Zunino 7 Jorge Recalde 7–8 Erkki Pitkänen 9 Peter Geitel 9 Michel Mitri 11 Pierre-Louis Moreau 11 Andy Dawson 12 Toyota Team Europe Toyota Celica 2000GT Björn Waldegård 3, 5–6, 9, 11–12 Per Eklund 3, 5–6, 11–12 Achim Warmbold 3 Tapio Rainio 9 Samir Assef 11 Terry Kaby 12 Peugeot Esso Peugeot 504 Coupé V6 Alain Ambrosino 4, 11 Guy Fréquelin 4, 11 Timo Mäkinen 4 Jean-Claude Lefèbvre 4 Carlos Garro 7 Francisco Alcuaz 7 Jacques Durieu 11 Charles Pozzi Ferrari 308 GTB Jean-Claude Andruet 5 Team Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer 2000 Turbo Anders Kulläng 6, 9, 12 Andrew Cowan 6, 12 Georg Fischer 6 Kyösti Hämäläinen 9 Antero Laine 9, 12 Jolly Club Fiat 131 Abarth Adartico Vudafieri 11 Mercedes Kassel Mercedes 500 SL Holger Bohne 11 Dealer Team Vauxhall Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HSR Tony Pond 12 George Hill 12
Championships 1981 World Rally Championship for Manufacturers Rank Manufacturers Event Totalpoints MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC ARG BRA FIN ITA CIV GBR 1 Talbot 17 - 17 - 17 15 18 - - 17 - 16 117 2 Datsun - - 13 18 15 13 17 - 12 - 18 - 106 3 Ford - - 9 - 12 18 - - 18 7 - 16 80 4 Opel 15 - 11 12 8 - - - 8 15 - - 69 5 Audi - - 13 - - - - - 14 18 - 18 63 6 Fiat 8 - 18 - - 16 - - 16 5 - - 63 7 Renault 18 - - - 7 10 15 - - - - 11 61 8 Toyota - - 15 - 11 - - - 3 - 16 9 54 9 Peugeot - - - 10 - 4 12 - - - 11 - 37 10 Lancia 10 - - - 18 - - - - - - - 28 11 Porsche 4 - - - 15 - - - - - - - 19 12 Škoda - - - - - 8 - - - - - - 8 13 Dodge - - - 6 - - - - - - - - 6 14 Mitsubishi - - - - - - - - 1 - - 3 4
1981 World Rally Championship point awards for manufacturers Overallfinish Group finish 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 18 - - - - - - - - - 2 17 16 - - - - - - - - 3 16 15 14 - - - - - - - 4 15 14 13 12 - - - - - - 5 14 13 12 11 10 - - - - - 6 13 12 11 10 9 8 - - - - 7 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 - - - 8 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 - - 9 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 - 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1
1981 World Rally Championship for Drivers Rank Driver Event Totalpoints MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC ARG BRA FIN ITA CIV GBR 1 Ari Vatanen 0 15 0 - - 20 0 20 20 4 2 15 96 2 Guy Fréquelin 15 - 6 0 15 10 20 15 - 0 8 0 89 3 Hannu Mikkola 0 20 0 - 0 0 - - 12 10 - 20 62 4 Markku Alén 4 - 20 - - 15 - - 15 2 - 0 56 5 Shekhar Mehta - - - 20 - 8 15 0 - - 12 - 55 6 Timo Salonen - - 0 10 0 0 0 - 10 0 20 0 40 7 Henri Toivonen 8 - 15 - 0 0 - - 0 15 - 0 38 8 Michèle Mouton 0 - 10 - 0 0 - - 0 20 - 0 30 9 Pentti Airikkala - 12 - - - - - - 8 - - 10 30 10 Per Eklund 0 2 0 - 6 0 - - 0 - 15 6 29 11 Jean Ragnotti 20 - - - 0 - - - - - - 8 28 12 Bernard Darniche 6 - - - 20 - - - - - - - 26 13 Stig Blomqvist - 8 - - - - - - 3 - - 12 23 14 Jorge Recalde - - - - - - 12 10 - - - - 22 15 Anders Kulläng 10 10 0 0 - 0 - - 0 - - 2 22 16 Jochi Kleint 12 - - 8 - 0 - - - - - - 20 Tony Pond - - 8 - 12 - - - - 0 - 0 20 18 Björn Waldegård 3 - 12 - 0 0 - - 2 - 0 0 17 19 Rauno Aaltonen 0 - - 15 - - - - - - - - 15 20 Mike Kirkland - - - 12 - - - - - - - - 12 Attilio Bettega 0 - 0 - - 12 - - - 0 - - 12 Domingo De Vitta - - - - - - 0 12 - - - - 12 Antonio Fassina - - - - - - - - - 12 - - 12 24 Björn Johansson - 6 - - - - - - 6 - - 0 12 25 Terry Kaby - - - - 8 - - - - - - 3 11 26 Jean-Pierre Ballet 0 - - - 10 - - - - - - - 10 Ernesto Soto - - - - - - 10 - - - - - 10 Michel Mitri - - - - - - - - - - 10 - 10 29 Ricardo Albertengo - - - - - - 8 - - - - - 10 Carlos Torres - - 0 - - - - 8 - - - - 8 Luigi Battistolli - - - - - - - - - 8 - - 8 32 Lasse Lampi - 4 - - - - - - 4 - - 0 8 33 Jean-Claude Lefèbvre - - - 6 - - - - - - - - 6 Iórgos Moschous - - - - - 6 - - - - - - 6 Luis Etchegoyen - - - - - - 6 - - - - - 6 Gustavo Trelles - - - - - - - 6 - - - - 6 Miki Biasion - - - - - - - - - 6 - - 6 Alain Ambrosino - - - 0 - - - - - - 6 - 6 39 Sören Nilsson - - - - - - 1 4 - - - - 5 Horacio Maglione - 1 - - - - - - - - - 4 5 41 Rafael 'Cid' - - 4 - - - - - - - - - 4 Yoshio Iwashita - - - 4 - - - - - - - - 4 Jean-Michel Tichadou - - - - 4 - - - - - - - 4 'Carlo' - - - - - 4 - - - - - - 4 Federico West - - - - - - 4 - - - - - 4 Samir Assef - - - - - - - - - - 4 - 4 47 Ola Strömberg - 3 - - - - - - - - - - 3 Manuel Queirós Pereira - - 3 - - - - - - - - - 3 Jayant Shah - - - 3 - - - - - - - - 3 Gérard Swaton - - - - 3 - - - - - - - 3 Václav Blahna - - - - - 3 - - - - - - 3 Luís Romero - - - - - - 3 - - - - - 3 Julio Berges - - - - - - - 3 - - - - 3 Dario Cerrato 0 - 0 - - - - - - 3 - - 3 Jacques Durieu - - - - - - - - - - 3 - 3 56 Jacques Alméras 2 - - - 0 - - - - - - - 2 Joaquim Moutinho - - 2 - - - - - - - - - 2 Malcolm Smith - - - 2 - - - - - - - - 2 Camille Bartoli - - - - 2 - - - - - - - 2 Pavlos Moschoutis - - - - - 2 - - - - - - 2 Miguel Tubal - - - - - - 2 - - - - - 2 Maria Carmo Zacarias - - - - - - - 2 - - - - 2 63 Alain Coppier 1 - - - 0 - - - - - - - 1 Kenjiro Shinozuka - - 1 - - - - - - - - - 1 Rod Hall - - - 1 - - - - - - - - 1 Jean-Felix Farrucci - - - - 1 - - - - - - - 1 Claude Laurent 0 - - - - 1 - - 0 - 0 0 1 Antero Laine - - - - - - - - 1 0 - 0 1 Federico Ormezzano - - - - - - - - - 1 - - 1 Roger Clark - - - - - - - - - - - 1 1
1981 World Rally Championship point awards for drivers Points awarded by finish 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 20 15 12 10 8 6 4 3 2 1
Events 1981 World Rally Championship event map Black = Tarmac Brown = Gravel Blue = Snow/Ice Red = Mixed Surface
1981 World Rally Championship schedule and results Round Rally name Stages Podium finishers Rank Driver Co-driver Car Time 1 Rallye Monte Carlo(24–30 January) 32 stages757 kmTarmac1 Jean Ragnotti Jean-Marc AndriéRenault 5 Turbo9:55:552 Guy Fréquelin Jean TodtTalbot Sunbeam Lotus9:58:493 Jochi Kleint Gunter WangerOpel Ascona 40010:02:54 2 Swedish RallyEvent not included in the Manufacturers' Championship(13–15 February) 25 stages369 kmSnow/Ice1 Hannu Mikkola Arne HertzAudi Quattro3:48:072 Ari Vatanen David RichardsFord Escort RS18003:50:003 Pentti Airikkala Risto VirtanenFord Escort RS18003:51:47 3 Rallye de Portugal(4–7 March) 46 stages681 kmGravel/Tarmac1 Markku Alén Ilkka KivimäkiFiat 131 Abarth8:27:262 Henri Toivonen Fred GallagherTalbot Sunbeam Lotus8:36:363 Björn Waldegård Hans ThorszeliusToyota Celica 2000GT8:43:47 4 Safari Rally(16–20 April) 77 controls5209 kmGravel1 Shekhar Mehta Mike DoughtyDatsun Violet GT+3:39 pen2 Rauno Aaltonen Lofty DrewsDatsun Violet GT+3:44 pen3 Mike Kirkland Dave HaworthDatsun 160J+4:51 pen 5 Tour de Corse(30 April–2 May) 24 stages1144 kmTarmac1 Bernard Darniche Alain MahéLancia Stratos HF14:26.232 Guy Fréquelin Jean TodtTalbot Sunbeam Lotus14:42:253 Tony Pond Ian GrindrodDatsun Violet GT14:45.29 6 Acropolis Rally(1–4 June) 57 stages960 kmGravel1 Ari Vatanen David RichardsFord Escort RS180013:17:252 Markku Alén Ilkka KivimäkiFiat 131 Abarth13:22:003 Attilio Bettega Maurizio PerissinotFiat 131 Abarth13:25:19 7 Rally Codasur(18–23 July) 18 stages1341 kmGravel1 Guy Fréquelin Jean TodtTalbot Sunbeam Lotus14:22:522 Shekhar Mehta Mike DoughtyDatsun Violet GT15:01:043 Jorge Recalde Jorge del BounoDatsun 160J16:01:19 8 Rallye do Brasil(6–8 August) 20 stages714 kmGravel1 Ari Vatanen David RichardsFord Escort RS18009:39:402 Guy Fréquelin Jean TodtTalbot Sunbeam Lotus9:48:113 Domingo De Vitta Daniel MuzioFord Escort RS10:19:46 9 1000 Lakes Rally(28–30 August) 46 stages440 kmGravel1 Ari Vatanen David RichardsFord Escort RS18004:07:272 Markku Alén Ilkka KivimäkiFiat 131 Abarth4:08:263 Hannu Mikkola Arne HertzAudi Quattro4:10:19 10 Rallye Sanremo(5–10 October) 59 stages751 kmGravel/Tarmac1 Michèle Mouton Fabrizia PonsAudi Quattro8:05:502 Henri Toivonen Fred GallagherTalbot Sunbeam Lotus8:09:153 Antonio Fassina Rudy Roberto DalpozzoOpel Ascona 4008:12:08 11 Rallye Côte d'Ivoire(26–31 October) 56 controls5087 kmGravel1 Timo Salonen Seppo HarjanneDatsun Violet GT+9:57 pen2 Per Eklund Ragnar SpjuthToyota Celica 2000GT+11:09 pen3 Shekhar Mehta Mike DoughtyDatsun Violet GT+11:22 pen 12 RAC Rally(22–25 November) 65 stages722 kmGravel/Tarmac1 Hannu Mikkola Arne HertzAudi Quattro8:30:002 Ari Vatanen David RichardsFord Escort RS18008:41:053 Stig Blomqvist Björn CederbergTalbot Sunbeam Lotus8:43:36
References
See also 1981 in sports
External links
FIA World Rally Championship 1981 at ewrc-results.com