The 1981 French Grand Prix was Round 8 of the 1981 FIA Formula 1 World Championship. The event was held at Dijon, France on Sunday, 5 July 1981. René Arnoux started on pole position for Renault and his team-mate Alain Prost was the race winner.
1981 French Grand Prix Race Result
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Nationality | Team | Tyre | Laps | Time/Retired | Race Time | Gap | Interval | Best Lap | Lap | Speed | Started | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | Alain Prost | France | Renault | Michelin | 80 | 1:35:48.13 | 1:35:48.130 | - | - | 1:09.140 | 64 | 190.390 | 3 | 9 |
| 2 | 7 | John Watson | Great Britain | McLaren Ford | Michelin | 80 | +2.290 | 1:35:50.420 | +2.290 | +2.290 | 1:09.300 | 66 | 190.320 | 2 | 6 |
| 3 | 5 | Nelson Piquet | Brazil | Brabham Ford | Goodyear | 80 | +24.220 | 1:36:12.350 | +24.220 | +21.930 | 1:09.290 | 66 | 189.590 | 4 | 4 |
| 4 | 16 | René Arnoux | France | Renault | Michelin | 80 | +42.300 | 1:36:30.430 | +42.300 | +18.080 | 1:09.320 | 67 | 189.000 | 1 | 3 |
| 5 | 28 | Didier Pironi | France | Ferrari | Michelin | 79 | +1 lap | 1:36:30.810 | 1 lap | 1 lap | 1:10.300 | 65 | 186.630 | 14 | 2 |
| 6 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Italy | Lotus Ford | Michelin | 79 | +1 lap | 1:36:56.900 | 1 lap | +26.090 | 1:10.990 | 68 | 185.790 | 8 | 1 |
| 7 | 12 | Nigel Mansell | Great Britain | Lotus Ford | Michelin | 79 | +1 lap | 1:36:59.120 | 1 lap | +2.220 | 1:11.130 | 74 | 185.720 | 13 | |
| 8 | 22 | Mario Andretti | United States | Alfa Romeo | Michelin | 79 | +1 lap | 1:37:18.550 | 1 lap | +19.430 | 1:09.970 | 69 | 185.100 | 10 | |
| 9 | 6 | Hector Rebaque | Mexico | Brabham Ford | Goodyear | 78 | +2 laps | 1:35:50.810 | 2 laps | 1 lap | 1:10.750 | 74 | 185.550 | 15 | |
| 10 | 2 | Carlos Reutemann | Argentina | Williams Ford | Goodyear | 78 | +2 laps | 1:36:10.360 | 2 laps | +19.550 | 1:10.760 | 6 | 184.920 | 7 | |
| 11 | 8 | Andrea de Cesaris | Italy | McLaren Ford | Michelin | 78 | +2 laps | 1:36:22.300 | 2 laps | +11.940 | 1:09.970 | 67 | 184.540 | 5 | |
| 12 | 33 | Marc Surer | Switzerland | Theodore Ford | Avon | 78 | +2 laps | 1:37:05.310 | 2 laps | +43.010 | 1:12.240 | 72 | 183.170 | 21 | |
| 13 | 3 | Eddie Cheever | United States | Tyrrell Ford | Michelin | 77 | +3 laps | 1:36:12.970 | 3 laps | 1 lap | 1:12.210 | 71 | 182.460 | 19 | |
| 14 | 29 | Riccardo Patrese | Italy | Arrows Ford | Michelin | 77 | +3 laps | 1:36:32.850 | 3 laps | +19.880 | 1:13.190 | 8 | 181.840 | 18 | |
| 15 | 23 | Bruno Giacomelli | Italy | Alfa Romeo | Michelin | 77 | +3 laps | 1:37:28.310 | 3 laps | +55.460 | 1:13.550 | 10 | 180.110 | 12 | |
| 16 | 4 | Michele Alboreto | Italy | Tyrrell Ford | Michelin | 77 | +3 laps | 1:37:38.270 | 3 laps | +9.960 | 1:14.150 | 68 | 179.810 | 23 | |
| 17 | 1 | Alan Jones | Australia | Williams Ford | Goodyear | 76 | Collision | 1:38:12.370 | 4 laps | 1 lap | 1:09.850 | 69 | 176.450 | 9 | |
| DNF | 26 | Jacques Laffite | France | Ligier Matra | Michelin | 57 | Suspension | 1:09:50.970 | 1:12.390 | 44 | 186.060 | 6 | |||
| DNF | 17 | Derek Daly | Ireland | March Ford | Avon | 55 | Engine | 1:15:19.530 | 1:13.930 | 28 | 166.480 | 20 | |||
| DNF | 27 | Gilles Villeneuve | Canada | Ferrari | Michelin | 41 | Electrical | 50:15.940 | 1:12.580 | 4 | 185.970 | 11 | |||
| DNF | 25 | Patrick Tambay | France | Ligier Matra | Michelin | 30 | Wheel Bearing | 39:55.060 | 1:13.370 | 28 | 171.350 | 16 | |||
| DNF | 20 | Keke Rosberg | Finland | Fittipaldi Ford | Michelin | 11 | Suspension | 14:09.120 | 1:15.010 | 5 | 177.220 | 17 | |||
| DNF | 14 | Eliseo Salazar | Chile | Ensign Ford | Michelin | 6 | Suspension | 7:44.830 | 1:14.300 | 6 | 176.580 | 22 | |||
| DNS | 21 | Chico Serra | Brazil | Fittipaldi Ford | Michelin | 0 | 24 | ||||||||
| DNQ | 20 | Siegfried Stohr | Italy | Arrows Ford | Michelin | ||||||||||
| DNQ | 35 | Brian Henton | Great Britain | Toleman Hart | Pirelli | ||||||||||
| DNQ | 9 | Slim Borgudd | Sweden | ATS Ford | Avon | ||||||||||
| DNQ | 31 | Beppe Gabbiani | Italy | Osella Hart | Michelin | ||||||||||
| DNQ | 36 | Derek Warwick | Great Britain | Toleman Hart | Pirelli |