The 1981 Belgian Grand Prix was Round 5 of the 1981 FIA Formula 1 World Championship. The event was held at the Zolder circuit in Belgium on Sunday, 17 May 1981. Carlos Reutemann started on pole position in the Williams Ford and was the race winner.
1981 Belgian Grand Prix Race Result
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Nationality | Team | Tyre | Laps | Time/Retired | Race Time | Gap | Interval | Best Lap | Lap | Speed | Started | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Carlos Reutemann | Argentina | Williams Ford | Michelin | 54 | 1:16:31.610 | 1:16:31.610 | - | - | 1:23.300 | 37 | 180.440 | 1 | 9 |
| 2 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | France | Ligier Matra | Michelin | 54 | +36.060 | 1:17:07.670 | +36.060 | +36.060 | 1:23.650 | 34 | 179.040 | 9 | 6 |
| 3 | 12 | Nigel Mansell | Great Britain | Lotus Ford | Michelin | 54 | +43.690 | 1:17:15.300 | +43.690 | +7.630 | 1:24.430 | 46 | 178.740 | 10 | 4 |
| 4 | 27 | Gilles Villeneuve | Canada | Ferrari | Michelin | 54 | +47.640 | 1:17:19.250 | +47.640 | +3.950 | 1:24.650 | 40 | 178.590 | 7 | 3 |
| 5 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Italy | Lotus Ford | Michelin | 54 | +49.200 | 1:17:20.810 | +49.200 | +1.560 | 1:24.500 | 35 | 178.530 | 14 | 2 |
| 6 | 3 | Eddie Cheever | United States | Tyrrell Ford | Michelin | 54 | +52.510 | 1:17:24.120 | +52.510 | +3.310 | 1:24.210 | 34 | 178.400 | 8 | 1 |
| 7 | 7 | John Watson | Great Britain | McLaren Ford | Michelin | 54 | +1:01.660 | 1:17:33.270 | +1:01.660 | +9.150 | 1:24.360 | 46 | 178.050 | 5 | |
| 8 | 28 | Didier Pironi | France | Ferrari | Michelin | 54 | +1:32.040 | 1:18:03.650 | +1:32.040 | +30.380 | 1:24.820 | 7 | 176.900 | 3 | |
| 9 | 23 | Bruno Giacomelli | Italy | Alfa Romeo | Michelin | 54 | +1:35.580 | 1:18:07.190 | +1:35.580 | +3.540 | 1:24.730 | 37 | 176.770 | 17 | |
| 10 | 22 | Mario Andretti | United States | Alfa Romeo | Michelin | 53 | +1 lap | 1:17:05.570 | 1 lap | 1 lap | 1:25.820 | 29 | 175.800 | 18 | |
| 11 | 14 | Marc Surer | Switzerland | Ensign Ford | Michelin | 52 | +2 laps | 1:17:00.600 | 2 laps | 1 lap | 1:25.230 | 30 | 172.670 | 15 | |
| 12 | 4 | Michele Alboreto | Italy | Tyrrell Ford | Michelin | 52 | +2 laps | 1:18:01.880 | 2 laps | +1:01.280 | 1:26.710 | 17 | 170.410 | 19 | |
| 13 | 31 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Italy | Osella Hart | Michelin | 50 | +4 laps | 1:17:36.280 | 4 laps | 2 laps | 1:26.580 | 17 | 164.760 | 24 | |
| DNF | 6 | Hector Rebaque | Mexico | Brabham Ford | Michelin | 39 | Accident | 55:58.090 | 1:23.740 | 34 | 178.190 | 21 | |||
| DNF | 25 | Jean Pierre Jabouille | France | Ligier Matra | Michelin | 35 | Transmission | 1:01:24.870 | 1:25.250 | 32 | 145.730 | 16 | |||
| DNF | 21 | Chico Serra | Brazil | Fittipaldi Ford | Michelin | 29 | Engine | 49:38.290 | 1:26.890 | 16 | 149.400 | 20 | |||
| DNF | 32 | Beppe Gabbiani | Italy | Osella Hart | Michelin | 22 | Engine | 32:20.790 | 1:26.850 | 16 | 173.920 | 22 | |||
| DNF | 1 | Alan Jones | Australia | Williams Ford | Michelin | 19 | Accident | 27:02.990 | 1:23.400 | 18 | 179.620 | 6 | |||
| DNF | 8 | Andrea de Cesaris | Italy | McLaren Ford | Michelin | 11 | Gearbox | 19:05.180 | 1:27.000 | 5 | 147.380 | 23 | |||
| DNF | 5 | Nelson Piquet | Brazil | Brabham Ford | Michelin | 10 | Accident | 14:20.960 | 1:24.750 | 7 | 178.210 | 2 | |||
| DNF | 20 | Keke Rosberg | Finland | Fittipaldi Ford | Avon | 10 | Gearbox | 15:00.110 | 1:25.950 | 8 | 170.460 | 11 | |||
| DNF | 15 | Alain Prost | France | Renault | Michelin | 2 | Clutch | 5:38.650 | 1:41.440 | 1 | 90.610 | 12 | |||
| DNF | 29 | Riccardo Patrese | Italy | Arrows Ford | Michelin | Collision | 4 | ||||||||
| DNF | 30 | Siegfried Stohr | Italy | Arrows Ford | Michelin | Collision | 13 | ||||||||
| DNQ | 18 | Derek Daly | Ireland | March | Michelin | ||||||||||
| DNQ | 16 | René Arnoux | France | Renault | Michelin | ||||||||||
| DNQ | 17 | Eliseo Salazar | Chile | March | Michelin | ||||||||||
| DNQ | 9 | Slim Borgudd | Sweden | ATS Ford | Michelin | ||||||||||
| DNQ | 33 | Patrick Tambay | France | Theodore Ford | Michelin | ||||||||||
| DNQ | 36 | Derek Warwick | Great Britain | Toleman Hart | Pirelli | ||||||||||
| DNQ | 35 | Brian Henton | Great Britain | Toleman Hart | Pirelli |