The 1981 German Grand Prix was Round 10 of the 1981 FIA Formula 1 World Championship. The event was held at Hockenheim in Germany on Sunday, 2 August 1981. Alain Prost started on pole position for Renault and Nelson Piquet was the race winner in the Brabham Ford.
1981 German Grand Prix Race Result
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Nationality | Team | Tyre | Laps | Time/Retired | Race Time | Gap | Interval | Best Lap | Lap | Speed | Started | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Nelson Piquet | Brazil | Brabham Ford | Goodyear | 45 | 1:25:55.600 | 1:25:55.600 | - | - | 1:52.600 | 7 | 213.320 | 6 | 9 |
| 2 | 15 | Alain Prost | France | Renault | Michelin | 45 | +11.520 | 1:26:07.120 | +11.520 | +11.520 | 1:53.510 | 4 | 212.850 | 1 | 6 |
| 3 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | France | Ligier Matra | Michelin | 45 | +1:04.600 | 1:27:00.200 | +1:04.600 | +53.080 | 1:54.960 | 13 | 210.690 | 7 | 4 |
| 4 | 6 | Hector Rebaque | Mexico | Brabham Ford | Goodyear | 45 | +1:39.690 | 1:27:35.290 | +1:39.690 | +35.090 | 1:54.470 | 13 | 209.280 | 16 | 3 |
| 5 | 3 | Eddie Cheever | United States | Tyrrell Ford | Avon | 45 | +1:50.520 | 1:27:46.120 | +1:50.520 | +10.830 | 1:55.250 | 10 | 208.850 | 18 | 2 |
| 6 | 7 | John Watson | Great Britain | McLaren Ford | Michelin | 44 | +1 lap | 1:26:07.420 | 1 lap | 1 lap | 1:55.560 | 42 | 208.110 | 9 | 1 |
| 7 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Italy | Lotus Ford | Goodyear | 44 | +1 lap | 1:26:19.980 | 1 lap | +12.560 | 1:55.980 | 8 | 207.600 | 14 | |
| 8 | 32 | Jean-Pierre Jarier | France | Osella Hart | Michelin | 44 | +1 lap | 1:26:21.660 | 1 lap | +1.680 | 1:56.610 | 42 | 207.540 | 17 | |
| 9 | 22 | Mario Andretti | United States | Alfa Romeo | Michelin | 44 | +1 lap | 1:26:36.730 | 1 lap | +15.070 | 1:56.210 | 5 | 206.930 | 12 | |
| 10 | 27 | Gilles Villeneuve | Canada | Ferrari | Michelin | 44 | +1 lap | 1:26:54.360 | 1 lap | +17.630 | 1:56.260 | 16 | 206.230 | 8 | |
| 11 | 1 | Alan Jones | Australia | Williams Ford | Goodyear | 44 | +1 lap | 1:26:56.720 | 1 lap | +2.360 | 1:52.420 | 4 | 206.140 | 4 | |
| 12 | 30 | Siegfried Stohr | Italy | Arrows Ford | Pirelli | 44 | +1 lap | 1:27:03.610 | 1 lap | +6.890 | 1:56.700 | 7 | 205.870 | 26 | |
| 13 | 16 | René Arnoux | France | Renault | Michelin | 44 | +1 lap | 1:27:28.120 | 1 lap | +24.510 | 1:56.200 | 3 | 204.910 | 2 | |
| 14 | 33 | Marc Surer | Switzerland | Theodore Ford | Avon | 43 | Suspension | 1:25:40.610 | 2 laps | 1 lap | 1:56.890 | 16 | 204.440 | 22 | |
| 15 | 23 | Bruno Giacomelli | Italy | Alfa Romeo | Michelin | 43 | +2 laps | 1:26:00.050 | 2 laps | +19.440 | 1:55.560 | 4 | 203.670 | 17 | |
| NC | 14 | Eliseo Salazar | Chile | Ensign Ford | Avon | 39 | +6 laps | 1:26:46.240 | 1:54.610 | 4 | 183.080 | 23 | |||
| DNF | 9 | Slim Borgudd | Sweden | ATS Ford | Avon | 35 | Engine | 1:12:30.940 | 1:56.740 | 7 | 196.600 | 28 | |||
| DNF | 2 | Carlos Reutemann | Argentina | Williams Ford | Goodyear | 27 | Engine | 51:32.290 | 1:53.690 | 3 | 213.400 | 3 | |||
| DNF | 29 | Riccardo Patrese | Italy | Arrows Ford | Pirelli | 27 | Engine | 52:30.360 | 1:54.840 | 20 | 209.470 | 13 | |||
| DNF | 25 | Patrick Tambay | France | Ligier Matra | Michelin | 27 | Transmission | 52:42.140 | 1:55.310 | 17 | 208.680 | 11 | |||
| DNF | 17 | Derek Daly | Ireland | March Ford | Avon | 15 | Suspension | 37:27.990 | 1:56.150 | 5 | 163.080 | 21 | |||
| DNF | 12 | Nigel Mansell | Great Britain | Lotus Ford | Goodyear | 12 | Fuel Leak | 23:52.010 | 1:55.550 | 8 | 204.810 | 15 | |||
| DNF | 8 | Andrea de Cesaris | Italy | McLaren Ford | Michelin | 4 | Collision | 7:54.820 | 1:55.820 | 4 | 205.890 | 10 | |||
| DNF | 28 | Didier Pironi | France | Ferrari | Michelin | 1 | Electrical | 2:01.670 | 2:01.670 | 1 | 200.870 | 5 | |||
| DNQ | 20 | Keke Rosberg | Finland | Fittipaldi Ford | Michelin | ||||||||||
| DNQ | 35 | Brian Henton | Great Britain | Toleman Hart | Pirelli | ||||||||||
| DNQ | 31 | Beppe Gabbiani | Italy | Osella Hart | Michelin | ||||||||||
| DNQ | 36 | Derek Warwick | Great Britain | Toleman Hart | Pirelli | ||||||||||
| DNQ | 4 | Michele Alboreto | Italy | Tyrrell Ford | Avon | ||||||||||
| DNQ | 21 | Chico Serra | Brazil | Fittipaldi Ford | Michelin |