1981 Australian Grand Prix
1981 Australian Grand Prix | |||
---|---|---|---|
Formula Pacific race | |||
Race details | |||
Date | 8 November 1981 | ||
Official name | XLVI National Panasonic Australian Grand Prix | ||
Location | Calder Park Raceway, Melbourne, Victoria | ||
Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
Course length | 1.609 km (1.000 miles) | ||
Distance | 100 laps, 160.9 km (100 miles) | ||
Weather | Sunny | ||
Pole position | |||
Driver | Ralt-Ford | ||
Time | 0'39.2 | ||
Fastest lap | |||
Driver |
| Ralt-Ford | |
Time | 0'39.8 | ||
Podium | |||
First | Ralt-Ford | ||
Second | Ralt-Ford | ||
Third | Ralt-Ford |
The 1981 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula Pacific motor race held at Calder Park Raceway in Victoria, Australia on 8 November 1981.
It was the forty sixth Australian Grand Prix and the first to be restricted to Formula Pacific racing cars. It was the first AGP since 1968 to feature two or more current or past World Drivers' Champions with reigning 1981 World Champion Nelson Piquet of Brazil and Australia's 1980 World Champion Alan Jones both in the field.
The race was won by 22-year-old Roberto Moreno by over a lap from Nelson Piquet with Australian Geoff Brabham finishing third. The top three drivers all drove Ralt RT4's (13 of the 20 starters were in fact driving the 1.6L Ford powered RT4's). To actually be able to compete in the Grand Prix Moreno needed five endorsements before the race to be able to obtain his FIA Super Licence, the first endorsement coming from Calder Park Clerk of Course Ken Smith.
Defending race winner Alan Jones failed to finish after transmission failure in his RT4 six laps from the finish while in second place. The first resident Australian driver home was another ex-Formula One driver and future touring car star Larry Perkins who finished fourth, one lap behind Moreno.
Classification
[edit]Results as follows:[1]
Qualifying
[edit]Pos | No | Driver | Car | Qual | Gap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 19 | Ralt RT4 Ford | 0:39.2 | — | |
2 | 27 | Ralt RT4 Ford | 0:39.2 | +0.0 | |
3 | 9 | Ralt RT4 Ford | 0:39.3 | +0.1 | |
4 | 4 | Ralt RT4 Ford | 0:39.6 | +0.4 | |
5 | 62 | Ralt RT4 Ford | 0:39.8 | +0.6 | |
6 | 26 | Ralt RT4 Ford | 0:39.8 | +0.6 | |
7 | 12 | Ralt RT4 Ford | 0:39.9 | +0.7 | |
8 | 71 | Ralt RT4 Ford | 0:39.9 | +0.7 | |
9 | 3 | Ralt RT4 Ford | 0:40.0 | +0.8 | |
10 | 6 | Ralt RT4 Ford | 0:40.2 | +1.0 | |
11 | 5 | Ralt RT4 Ford | 0:40.2 | +1.0 | |
12 | 84 | Tiga FA81 Ford | 0:40.3 | +1.1 | |
13 | 2 | Ralt RT4 Ford | 0:40.4 | +1.2 | |
14 | 18 | Ralt RT4 Ford | 0:40.6 | +1.4 | |
15 | 16 | Ralt RT3 Volkswagen Golf | 0:40.7 | +1.5 | |
16 | 83 | Kaditcha Ford | 0:40.7 | +1.5 | |
17 | 7 | Toleman TA860 Toyota | 0:40.9 | +1.7 | |
18 | 77 | Galloway HG1 Ford | 0:41.4 | +2.2 | |
19 | 11 | Ralt RT1 Ford | 0:41.8 | +2.6 | |
20 | 48 | March 77B Ford | 0:42.5 | +3.3 | |
21 | 36 | Birrana 273 Ford | 0:43.1 | +3.9 |
Race
[edit]Pos | No. | Driver | Car | Entrant[2] | Laps | Time |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 19 | Ralt RT4 Ford | Graham Watson Motor Racing Pty Ltd | 100 | 1h 07m 39.2s | |
2 | 9 | Ralt RT4 Ford | Graham Watson Motor Racing Pty Ltd | 99 | ||
3 | 12 | Ralt RT4 Ford | G Brabham | 99 | ||
4 | 3 | Ralt RT4 Ford | L Perkins | 99 | ||
5 | 5 | Ralt RT4 Ford | AW Miedecke | 99 | ||
6 | 18 | Ralt RT4 Ford | Oxton Motors | 98 | ||
7 | 6 | Ralt RT4 Ford | Cliff Smith Racing | 98 | ||
8 | 62 | Ralt RT4 Ford | B Allison | 98 | ||
9 | 2 | Ralt RT4 Ford | Citizen Watches Australia | 98 | ||
10 | 84 | Tiga FA81 Ford | Porsche Cars Australia | 97 | ||
11 | 83 | Kaditcha Ford | Paul England | 97 | ||
12 | 71 | Ralt RT4 Ford | OSCL | 96 | ||
13 | 11 | Ralt RT1 Ford | Nissalco Garage Equipment | 90 | ||
14 | 48 | March 77B Ford | R Hanger | 87 | ||
Ret | 27 | Ralt RT4 Ford | Theodore Racing | 93 | transmission | |
Ret | 26 | Ralt RT4 Ford | J Laffite | 43 | oil line | |
Ret | 7 | Toleman TA860 Toyota | Toyota Dealer Team | 40 | accident | |
Ret | 4 | Ralt RT4 Ford | Chris Leach Racing | 15 | water pump belt | |
Ret | 16 | Ralt RT3 Volkswagen Golf | Formula One Automotive | 10 | broken valve spring | |
Ret | 36 | Birrana 273 Ford | R Creasy | 6 | spin | |
DNS | 77 | Galloway HG1 Ford | Peter Williamson Pty Ltd | gearbox input shaft |
Notes
[edit]- Pole position: Roberto Moreno – 0'39.2[1]
- Fastest lap: Roberto Moreno – 0'39.8 (145.6 km/h, 90.5 mph)[1]
- Winner's average speed: 142.8 km/h, 88.7 mph[1]