The 1981 Monaco Grand Prix was Round 6 of the 1981 FIA Formula 1 World Championship. The event was held on the streets of Monte Carlo on Sunday, 31 May 1981. Nelson Piquet started on pole position in the Brabham Ford and Gilles Villeneuve was the race winner for Ferrari.
1981 Monaco Grand Prix Race Result
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Nationality | Team | Tyre | Laps | Time/Retired | Race Time | Gap | Interval | Best Lap | Lap | Speed | Started | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Gilles Villeneuve | Canada | Ferrari | Michelin | 76 | 1:54:23.38 | 1:54:23.380 | - | - | 1:29.004 | 71 | 132.030 | 2 | 9 |
| 2 | 1 | Alan Jones | Australia | Williams Ford | Michelin | 76 | +39.910 | 1:55:03.290 | +39.910 | +39.910 | 1:27.470 | 48 | 131.270 | 7 | 6 |
| 3 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | France | Ligier Matra | Michelin | 76 | +1:29.240 | 1:55:52.620 | +1:29.240 | +49.330 | 1:29.402 | 43 | 130.330 | 8 | 4 |
| 4 | 28 | Didier Pironi | France | Ferrari | Michelin | 75 | +1 lap | 1:55:03.980 | 1 lap | 1 lap | 1:29.617 | 51 | 129.530 | 17 | 3 |
| 5 | 3 | Eddie Cheever | United States | Tyrrell Ford | Michelin | 74 | +2 laps | 1:54:45.690 | 2 laps | 1 lap | 1:30.554 | 44 | 128.140 | 15 | 2 |
| 6 | 14 | Marc Surer | Switzerland | Ensign Ford | Michelin | 74 | +2 laps | 1:55:16.640 | 2 laps | +30.950 | 1:30.772 | 45 | 127.560 | 19 | 1 |
| 7 | 33 | Patrick Tambay | France | Theodore Ford | Michelin | 72 | +4 laps | 1:55:04.730 | 4 laps | 2 laps | 1:30.927 | 12 | 124.330 | 16 | |
| DNF | 5 | Nelson Piquet | Brazil | Brabham Ford | Michelin | 53 | Spun Off | 1:19:07.230 | 1:28.043 | 47 | 133.120 | 1 | |||
| DNF | 7 | John Watson | Great Britain | McLaren Ford | Michelin | 52 | Engine | 1:18:46.170 | 1:29.233 | 44 | 131.190 | 10 | |||
| DNF | 4 | Michele Alboreto | Italy | Tyrrell Ford | Michelin | 50 | Collision | 1:16:46.060 | 1:30.363 | 48 | 129.430 | 20 | |||
| DNF | 23 | Bruno Giacomelli | Italy | Alfa Romeo | Michelin | 50 | Collision | 1:16:48.470 | 1:29.820 | 50 | 129.360 | 18 | |||
| DNF | 15 | Alain Prost | France | Renault | Michelin | 45 | Engine | 1:08:32.540 | 1:29.903 | 25 | 130.470 | 9 | |||
| DNF | 2 | Carlos Reutemann | Argentina | Williams Ford | Michelin | 33 | Gearbox | 52:09.310 | 1:28.764 | 30 | 125.740 | 4 | |||
| DNF | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Italy | Lotus Ford | Michelin | 32 | Engine | 48:22.890 | 1:29.526 | 29 | 131.440 | 6 | |||
| DNF | 16 | René Arnoux | France | Renault | Michelin | 32 | Spun Off | 48:36.430 | 1:29.747 | 26 | 130.830 | 13 | |||
| DNF | 29 | Riccardo Patrese | Italy | Arrows Ford | Michelin | 29 | Gearbox | 43:41.400 | 1:29.013 | 23 | 131.900 | 5 | |||
| DNF | 12 | Nigel Mansell | Great Britain | Lotus Ford | Michelin | 15 | Suspension | 23:44.590 | 1:29.527 | 7 | 125.540 | 3 | |||
| DNF | 30 | Siegfried Stohr | Italy | Arrows Ford | Michelin | 14 | Fuel System | 40:40.830 | 1:31.724 | 8 | 68.390 | 14 | |||
| DNF | 8 | Andrea de Cesaris | Italy | McLaren Ford | Michelin | Collision | 11 | ||||||||
| DNF | 22 | Mario Andretti | United States | Alfa Romeo | Michelin | Collision | 12 | ||||||||
| DNQ | 20 | Keke Rosberg | Finland | Fittipaldi Ford | Avon | ||||||||||
| DNQ | 25 | Jean Pierre Jabouille | France | Ligier Matra | Michelin | ||||||||||
| DNQ | 6 | Hector Rebaque | Mexico | Brabham Ford | Michelin | ||||||||||
| DNQ | 21 | Chico Serra | Brazil | Fittipaldi Ford | Avon | ||||||||||
| DNQ | 32 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Italy | Osella Hart | Michelin | ||||||||||
| DNQ | 31 | Beppe Gabbiani | Italy | Osella Hart | Michelin | ||||||||||
| DNQ | 10 | Slim Borgudd | Sweden | ATS Ford | Michelin | ||||||||||
| DNQ | 18 | Derek Daly | Ireland | March | Michelin | ||||||||||
| DNQ | 17 | Eliseo Salazar | Chile | March | Michelin | ||||||||||
| DNQ | 35 | Brian Henton | Great Britain | Toleman Hart | Pirelli | ||||||||||
| DNQ | 36 | Derek Warwick | Great Britain | Toleman Hart | Pirelli |