Caesars Palace Grand Prix 1981

Caesars Palace
Las Vegas
17 October 1981
75 laps
273.8 km
3.650 km a lap
Title decided here

Pole positionCarlos ReutemannWilliams · 1:17.821
Fastest lapDidier Pironi1:20.156 · lap 49
Winner started fromP2on the grid

Result

Pos	Driver	No.	Team · engine	Grid	Laps	Time / reason	Points
1	Alan Jones	1	Williams · Ford	2	75	1:44:09.077	9
2	Alain Prost	15	Renault	5	75	+20.050	6
3	Bruno Giacomelli	23	Alfa Romeo	8	75	+20.430	4
4	Nigel Mansell	12	Lotus · Ford	9	75	+47.470	3
5	Nelson Piquet	5	Brabham · Ford	4	75	+1:16.440	2
6	Jacques Laffite	26	Ligier · Matra	12	75	+1:18.180	1
7	John Watson	7	McLaren · Ford	6	75	+1:18.500
8	Carlos Reutemann	2	Williams · Ford	1	74	+1 lap
9	Didier Pironifastest lap	28	Ferrari	18	73	+2 laps
10	Keke Rosberg	20	Fittipaldi · Ford	20	73	+2 laps
11	Riccardo Patrese	29	Arrows · Ford	11	71	+4 laps
12	Andrea de Cesaris	8	McLaren · Ford	14	69	+6 laps
13	Michele Alboreto	4	Tyrrell · Ford	17	67	Engine
NC	Eliseo Salazar	14	Ensign · Ford	24	61	+14 laps
DNF	Derek Warwick	36	Toleman · Hart	22	43	Gearbox
DNF	Mario Andretti	22	Alfa Romeo	10	29	Suspension
DNF	Héctor Rebaque	6	Brabham · Ford	16	20	Throttle
DNF	Marc Surer	33	Theodore · Ford	23	19	Suspension
DNF	Eddie Cheever	3	Tyrrell · Ford	19	10	Engine
DNF	René Arnoux	16	Renault	13	10	Electrical
DNF	Patrick Tambay	25	Ligier · Matra	7	2	Accident
DNF	Elio de Angelis	11	Lotus · Ford	15	2	Water leak
DNF	Jean-Pierre Jarier	32	Osella · Ford	21	0	Transmission
DSQ	Gilles Villeneuve	27	Ferrari	3	22	Incorrect grid formation
DNQ	Slim Borgudd	9	ATS · Ford	–
DNQ	Chico Serra	21	Fittipaldi · Ford	–
DNQ	Derek Daly	17	March · Ford	–
DNQ	Jacques Villeneuve, Sr.	30	Arrows · Ford	–
DNQ	Brian Henton	35	Toleman · Hart	–
DNQ	Beppe Gabbiani	31	Osella · Ford	–

A number in the first column means classified. DNF, DNQ and DNS stand for retirement, did not qualify and did not start. ‘shared’ marks a car that two drivers shared between them – permitted in the 1950s, and both were classified.

Qualifying

Pos	Driver	Team	Time	Gap
1	Carlos Reutemann	Williams	1:17.821
2	Alan Jones	Williams	1:17.995	+0.174
3	Gilles Villeneuve	Ferrari	1:18.060	+0.239
4	Nelson Piquet	Brabham	1:18.161	+0.340
5	Alain Prost	Renault	1:18.433	+0.612
6	John Watson	McLaren	1:18.617	+0.796
7	Patrick Tambay	Ligier	1:18.681	+0.860
8	Bruno Giacomelli	Alfa Romeo	1:18.792	+0.971
9	Nigel Mansell	Lotus	1:19.044	+1.223
10	Mario Andretti	Alfa Romeo	1:19.068	+1.247
11	Riccardo Patrese	Arrows	1:19.152	+1.331
12	Jacques Laffite	Ligier	1:19.167	+1.346
13	René Arnoux	Renault	1:19.197	+1.376
14	Andrea de Cesaris	McLaren	1:19.217	+1.396
15	Elio de Angelis	Lotus	1:19.562	+1.741
16	Héctor Rebaque	Brabham	1:19.571	+1.750
17	Michele Alboreto	Tyrrell	1:19.774	+1.953
18	Didier Pironi	Ferrari	1:19.899	+2.078
19	Eddie Cheever	Tyrrell	1:20.475	+2.654
20	Keke Rosberg	Fittipaldi	1:20.729	+2.908
21	Jean-Pierre Jarier	Osella	1:20.781	+2.960
22	Derek Warwick	Toleman	1:21.294	+3.473
23	Marc Surer	Theodore	1:21.430	+3.609
24	Eliseo Salazar	Ensign	1:21.629	+3.808
25	Slim Borgudd	ATS	1:21.665	+3.844
26	Chico Serra	Fittipaldi	1:21.672	+3.851
27	Derek Daly	March	1:21.824	+4.003
28	Jacques Villeneuve, Sr.	Arrows	1:22.822	+5.001
29	Brian Henton	Toleman	1:22.960	+5.139
30	Beppe Gabbiani	Osella	1:26.634	+8.813

Fastest laps

Each driver's quickest lap of the race.

Pos	Driver	Lap	Time	Gap
1	Didier Pironi	49	1:20.156

Championship after this race

The official standings after round 15. Arrows show the change against the round before.

The whole season

Drivers' championship after round 15
Pos	Driver	Points	Change
1	Nelson Piquet	50	▲1
2	Carlos Reutemann	49	▼1
3	Alan Jones	46	▲2
4	Jacques Laffite	44	▼1
5	Alain Prost	43	▼1
6	John Watson	27
7	Gilles Villeneuve	25
8	Elio de Angelis	14
9	René Arnoux	11
10	Héctor Rebaque	11

Constructors' championship after round 15
Pos	Team	Points	Change
1	Williams	95
2	Brabham	61
3	Renault	54
4	Ligier	44
5	Ferrari	34
6	McLaren	28
7	Lotus	22
8	Arrows	10
9	Alfa Romeo	10	▲1
10	Tyrrell	10	▼1