The 1981 Italian Grand Prix was Round 13 of the 1981 FIA Formula 1 World Championship. The event was held at Monza, Italy on Sunday, 13 September 1981. René Arnoux started on pole position for Renault and his team-mate Alain Prost was the race winner.Following its race debut earlier in the season at the 1981 Argentine Grand Prix,
McLaren proved the safety and structural integrity of its carbon fibre monocoque when John Watson walked away unscathed after suffering a major accident in his MP4/1 during the race.
1981 Italian 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 | 52 | 1:26:36.897 | 1:26:33.897 | - | - | 1:37.702 | 9 | 209.045 | 3 | 9 |
| 2 | 1 | Alan Jones | Australia | Williams Ford | Goodyear | 52 | +22.175 | 1:26:56.072 | +22.175 | +22.175 | 1:37.536 | 47 | 208.156 | 5 | 6 |
| 3 | 2 | Carlos Reutemann | Argentina | Williams Ford | Goodyear | 52 | +50.587 | 1:27:24.484 | +50.587 | +28.412 | 1:37.528 | 48 | 207.028 | 2 | 4 |
| 4 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Italy | Lotus Ford | Goodyear | 52 | +1:32.902 | 1:28:06.799 | +1:32.902 | +42.315 | 1:38.498 | 31 | 205.371 | 11 | 3 |
| 5 | 28 | Didier Pironi | France | Ferrari | Michelin | 52 | +1:34.522 | 1:28:08.419 | +1:34.522 | +1.620 | 1:39.652 | 9 | 205.308 | 8 | 2 |
| 6 | 5 | Nelson Piquet | Brazil | Brabham Ford | Goodyear | 51 | Engine | 1:25:35.857 | 1 lap | 1 lap | 1:37.590 | 45 | 207.342 | 6 | 1 |
| 7 | 8 | Andrea de Cesaris | Italy | McLaren Ford | Michelin | 51 | Puncture | 1:26:25.320 | 1 lap | +49.463 | 1:39.401 | 32 | 205.364 | 16 | |
| 8 | 23 | Bruno Giacomelli | Italy | Alfa Romeo | Michelin | 50 | +2 laps | 1:26:35.778 | 2 laps | 1 lap | 1:37.893 | 48 | 200.932 | 10 | |
| 9 | 32 | Jean-Pierre Jarier | France | Osella Hart | Michelin | 50 | +2 laps | 1:27:32.931 | 2 laps | +57.153 | 1:41.835 | 3 | 198.746 | 18 | |
| 10 | 35 | Brian Henton | Great Britain | Toleman Hart | Pirelli | 49 | +3 laps | 1:28:12.032 | 3 laps | 1 lap | 1:43.825 | 3 | 193.332 | 23 | |
| DNF | 22 | Mario Andretti | United States | Alfa Romeo | Michelin | 40 | Engine | 1:07:46.666 | 1:39.585 | 30 | 205.377 | 13 | |||
| DNF | 17 | Derek Daly | Ireland | March Ford | Avon | 36 | Gearbox | 1:02:54.402 | 1:39.139 | 8 | 199.152 | 19 | |||
| DNF | 25 | Patrick Tambay | France | Ligier Matra | Michelin | 22 | Puncture | 37:15.263 | 1:38.575 | 9 | 205.506 | 15 | |||
| DNF | 12 | Nigel Mansell | Great Britain | Lotus Ford | Goodyear | 20 | Suspension | 36:11.363 | 1:40.257 | 4 | 192.321 | 12 | |||
| DNF | 7 | John Watson | Great Britain | McLaren Ford | Michelin | 19 | Accident | 32:16.493 | 1:39.386 | 8 | 204.865 | 7 | |||
| DNF | 29 | Riccardo Patrese | Italy | Arrows Ford | Pirelli | 18 | Gearbox | 31:34.510 | 1:40.045 | 7 | 198.383 | 20 | |||
| DNF | 4 | Michele Alboreto | Italy | Tyrrell Ford | Goodyear | 17 | Accident | 32:16.952 | 1:40.620 | 7 | 183.256 | 22 | |||
| DNF | 14 | Eliseo Salazar | Chile | Ensign Ford | Avon | 13 | Spun Off | 22:40.021 | 1:40.131 | 7 | 199.585 | 24 | |||
| DNF | 16 | René Arnoux | France | Renault | Michelin | 12 | Spun Off | 28:02.002 | 1:37.886 | 8 | 148.965 | 1 | |||
| DNF | 26 | Jacques Laffite | France | Ligier Matra | Michelin | 11 | Puncture | 18:42.586 | 1:38.532 | 5 | 204.599 | 4 | |||
| DNF | 3 | Eddie Cheever | United States | Tyrrell Ford | Goodyear | 11 | Spun Off | 19:03.016 | 1:40.165 | 7 | 200.942 | 17 | |||
| DNF | 9 | Slim Borgudd | Sweden | ATS Ford | Avon | 10 | Spun Off | 17:21.989 | 1:41.117 | 4 | 200.385 | 21 | |||
| DNF | 27 | Gilles Villeneuve | Canada | Ferrari | Michelin | 5 | Engine | 8:35.255 | 1:39.814 | 3 | 202.618 | 9 | |||
| DNF | 6 | Hector Rebaque | Mexico | Brabham Ford | Michelin | 1 | Electrical | 4:28.329 | 4:28.329 | 1 | 77.814 | 14 | |||
| DNQ | 33 | Marc Surer | Switzerland | Theodore Ford | Avon | ||||||||||
| DNQ | 31 | Beppe Gabbiani | Italy | Osella Hart | Michelin | ||||||||||
| DNQ | 36 | Derek Warwick | Great Britain | Toleman Hart | Pirelli | ||||||||||
| DNQ | 20 | Siegfried Stohr | Italy | Arrows Ford | Pirelli | ||||||||||
| DNQ | 20 | Keke Rosberg | Finland | Fittipaldi Ford | Pirelli | ||||||||||
| DNQ | 21 | Chico Serra | Brazil | Fittipaldi Ford | Pirelli |