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1981 World Rally Championship

(Redirected from 1981 World Rally Championship season)

The 1981 World Rally Championship was the ninth season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) World Rally Championship (WRC). The season consisted of 12 rallies. While this number was the same as the previous year, one change was made to the schedule, replacing New Zealand with the Brazil.

The 1981 World Rally Championship for Drivers was won by Ari Vatanen driving a Rothmans Rally Team Ford Escort RS1800, the only time a privateer team has won the Drivers' Championship until 2017. The Makes' Championship was won by Talbot with their Sunbeam Lotus. It also saw the beginning of a new era in the sport with the arrival of the Audi Quattro, the first four-wheel drive rally car. Initially regarded as too heavy and complex for rally stages, it proved its worth with three wins in its debut season, including a maiden victory for Michèle Mouton at the Rallye Sanremo, the only woman to win a WRC event.

Teams and drivers

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Team Constructor Car Drivers Rounds
  David Sutton Motorsport Ford Escort RS 1800   Björn Waldegård 1
  Raymond Rué 1, 3
  Lasse Lampi 2, 9, 12
  Bror Danielsson 2
  Yves Loubet 5
  Domingo De Vitta 7–8
  Roger Clark 12
  Fiat Auto Torino Fiat 131 Abarth   Markku Alén 1, 3, 6, 9–10
  Attilio Bettega 1, 3, 6, 10
  Dario Cerrato 1, 3, 10
  Rob Collinge 4
  Kalevi Aho 9
  Rothmans Rally Team Ford Escort RS 1800   Ari Vatanen 1–3, 6–12
  Pentti Airikkala 2, 9, 12
  Malcolm Wilson 3, 6, 12
  John Taylor 11
  Team Chardonnet Lancia Stratos HF   Bernard Darniche 1, 5
  Markku Alén 12
  Audi Sport Audi Quattro   Hannu Mikkola 1–3, 5–6, 9–10, 12
  Michèle Mouton 1, 3, 5–6, 9–10, 12
  Franz Wittmann 6, 9
  Michele Cinotto 10
  Adolphe Choteau 11
  Opel Euro Händler Team Opel Opel Ascona 400   Jochi Kleint 1, 4, 6
  Anders Kulläng 1–4
  Björn Johansson 2, 9, 12
  Jimmy McRae 12
  Malcolm Patrick 12
  Talbot Sport Talbot Sunbeam Lotus   Henri Toivonen 1, 3, 5–6, 9–10, 12
  Guy Fréquelin 1, 3, 5–8, 10, 12
  Gunnar Fagerlind 2, 12
  Stig Blomqvist 9, 12
  Russell Brookes 12
  Renault Elf Renault Renault 5 Turbo   Jean Ragnotti 1, 5, 12
  Bruno Saby 1, 5, 12
  Alain Coppier 1, 5
  Pierre-Louis Moreau 5
  Jean-Pierre Manzagol 5
  Porsche Alméras Porsche Porsche 911 SC   Jean-Luc Thérier 1, 3, 5, 10
  Jacques Alméras 1, 5
  Per Eklund 2, 9
  Francis Vincent 5
  Walter Röhrl 10
  Team Datsun Europe Datsun 160J
Violet GT 		  Rauno Aaltonen 1, 4
  Sören Nilsson 2, 12
  Timo Salonen 3–7, 9–12
  Tony Pond 3, 5, 10
  Santinho Mendes 3
  Shekhar Mehta 4, 6–8, 11
  John Hellier 4
  Mike Kirkland 4
  Terry Kaby 5
  George Moschous 6
  Ricardo Zunino 7
  Jorge Recalde 7–8
  Erkki Pitkänen 9
  Peter Geitel 9
  Michel Mitri 11
  Pierre-Louis Moreau 11
  Andy Dawson 12
  Saab Sport Saab 99 Turbo
99 EMS 		  Stig Blomqvist 2
  Ola Stömberg 2
  Kalle Grundel 2
  Toyota Team Europe Toyota Celica 2000GT   Björn Waldegård 3, 5–6, 9, 11–12
  Per Eklund 3, 5–6, 11–12
  Achim Warmbold 3
  Tapio Rainio 9
  Samir Assef 11
  Terry Kaby 12
  Peugeot Esso Peugeot 504 Coupé V6   Alain Ambrosino 4, 11
  Guy Fréquelin 4, 11
  Timo Mäkinen 4
  Jean-Claude Lefèbvre 4
  Carlos Garro 7
  Francisco Alcuaz 7
  Jacques Durieu 11
  Charles Pozzi Ferrari 308 GTB   Jean-Claude Andruet 5
  Team Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer 2000 Turbo   Anders Kulläng 6, 9, 12
  Andrew Cowan 6, 12
  Georg Fischer 6
  Kyösti Hämäläinen 9
  Antero Laine 9, 12
  Jolly Club Fiat 131 Abarth   Adartico Vudafieri 11
  Mercedes Kassel Mercedes 500 SL   Holger Bohne 11
  Dealer Team Vauxhall Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HSR   Tony Pond 12
  George Hill 12

Championships

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1981 World Rally Championship for Manufacturers
Rank Manufacturers Event Total
points
 
MON 		 
SWE 		 
POR 		 
KEN 		 
FRA 		 
GRC 		 
ARG 		 
BRA 		 
FIN 		 
ITA 		 
CIV 		 
GBR
1   Talbot 17 - 17 - 17 15 18 - - 17 - 16 117
2   Datsun - - 13 18 15 13 17 - 12 - 18 - 106
3   Ford - - 9 - 12 18 - - 18 7 - 16 80
4   Opel 15 - 11 12 8 - - - 8 15 - - 69
5   Audi - - 13 - - - - - 14 18 - 18 63
6   Fiat 8 - 18 - - 16 - - 16 5 - - 63
7   Renault 18 - - - 7 10 15 - - - - 11 61
8   Toyota - - 15 - 11 - - - 3 - 16 9 54
9   Peugeot - - - 10 - 4 12 - - - 11 - 37
10   Lancia 10 - - - 18 - - - - - - - 28
11   Porsche 4 - - - 15 - - - - - - - 19
12   Škoda - - - - - 8 - - - - - - 8
13   Dodge - - - 6 - - - - - - - - 6
14   Mitsubishi - - - - - - - - 1 - - 3 4
1981 World Rally Championship point awards for manufacturers
Overall
finish 		Group finish
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 18 - - - - - - - - -
2 17 16 - - - - - - - -
3 16 15 14 - - - - - - -
4 15 14 13 12 - - - - - -
5 14 13 12 11 10 - - - - -
6 13 12 11 10 9 8 - - - -
7 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 - - -
8 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 - -
9 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 -
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1
1981 World Rally Championship for Drivers
Rank Driver Event Total
points
 
MON 		 
SWE 		 
POR 		 
KEN 		 
FRA 		 
GRC 		 
ARG 		 
BRA 		 
FIN 		 
ITA 		 
CIV 		 
GBR
1   Ari Vatanen 0 15 0 - - 20 0 20 20 4 2 15 96
2   Guy Fréquelin 15 - 6 0 15 10 20 15 - 0 8 0 89
3   Hannu Mikkola 0 20 0 - 0 0 - - 12 10 - 20 62
4   Markku Alén 4 - 20 - - 15 - - 15 2 - 0 56
5   Shekhar Mehta - - - 20 - 8 15 0 - - 12 - 55
6   Timo Salonen - - 0 10 0 0 0 - 10 0 20 0 40
7   Henri Toivonen 8 - 15 - 0 0 - - 0 15 - 0 38
8   Michèle Mouton 0 - 10 - 0 0 - - 0 20 - 0 30
9   Pentti Airikkala - 12 - - - - - - 8 - - 10 30
10   Per Eklund 0 2 0 - 6 0 - - 0 - 15 6 29
11   Jean Ragnotti 20 - - - 0 - - - - - - 8 28
12   Bernard Darniche 6 - - - 20 - - - - - - - 26
13   Stig Blomqvist - 8 - - - - - - 3 - - 12 23
14   Jorge Recalde - - - - - - 12 10 - - - - 22
15   Anders Kulläng 10 10 0 0 - 0 - - 0 - - 2 22
16   Jochi Kleint 12 - - 8 - 0 - - - - - - 20
  Tony Pond - - 8 - 12 - - - - 0 - 0 20
18   Björn Waldegård 3 - 12 - 0 0 - - 2 - 0 0 17
19   Rauno Aaltonen 0 - - 15 - - - - - - - - 15
20   Mike Kirkland - - - 12 - - - - - - - - 12
  Attilio Bettega 0 - 0 - - 12 - - - 0 - - 12
  Domingo De Vitta - - - - - - 0 12 - - - - 12
  Antonio Fassina - - - - - - - - - 12 - - 12
24   Björn Johansson - 6 - - - - - - 6 - - 0 12
25   Terry Kaby - - - - 8 - - - - - - 3 11
26   Jean-Pierre Ballet 0 - - - 10 - - - - - - - 10
  Ernesto Soto - - - - - - 10 - - - - - 10
  Michel Mitri - - - - - - - - - - 10 - 10
29   Ricardo Albertengo - - - - - - 8 - - - - - 10
  Carlos Torres - - 0 - - - - 8 - - - - 8
  Luigi Battistolli - - - - - - - - - 8 - - 8
32   Lasse Lampi - 4 - - - - - - 4 - - 0 8
33   Jean-Claude Lefèbvre - - - 6 - - - - - - - - 6
  Iórgos Moschous - - - - - 6 - - - - - - 6
  Luis Etchegoyen - - - - - - 6 - - - - - 6
  Gustavo Trelles - - - - - - - 6 - - - - 6
  Miki Biasion - - - - - - - - - 6 - - 6
  Alain Ambrosino - - - 0 - - - - - - 6 - 6
39   Sören Nilsson - - - - - - 1 4 - - - - 5
  Horacio Maglione - 1 - - - - - - - - - 4 5
41   Rafael 'Cid' - - 4 - - - - - - - - - 4
  Yoshio Iwashita - - - 4 - - - - - - - - 4
  Jean-Michel Tichadou - - - - 4 - - - - - - - 4
  'Carlo' - - - - - 4 - - - - - - 4
  Federico West - - - - - - 4 - - - - - 4
  Samir Assef - - - - - - - - - - 4 - 4
47   Ola Strömberg - 3 - - - - - - - - - - 3
  Manuel Queirós Pereira - - 3 - - - - - - - - - 3
  Jayant Shah - - - 3 - - - - - - - - 3
  Gérard Swaton - - - - 3 - - - - - - - 3
  Václav Blahna - - - - - 3 - - - - - - 3
  Luís Romero - - - - - - 3 - - - - - 3
  Julio Berges - - - - - - - 3 - - - - 3
  Dario Cerrato 0 - 0 - - - - - - 3 - - 3
  Jacques Durieu - - - - - - - - - - 3 - 3
56   Jacques Alméras 2 - - - 0 - - - - - - - 2
  Joaquim Moutinho - - 2 - - - - - - - - - 2
  Malcolm Smith - - - 2 - - - - - - - - 2
  Camille Bartoli - - - - 2 - - - - - - - 2
  Pavlos Moschoutis - - - - - 2 - - - - - - 2
  Miguel Tubal - - - - - - 2 - - - - - 2
  Maria Carmo Zacarias - - - - - - - 2 - - - - 2
63   Alain Coppier 1 - - - 0 - - - - - - - 1
  Kenjiro Shinozuka - - 1 - - - - - - - - - 1
  Rod Hall - - - 1 - - - - - - - - 1
  Jean-Felix Farrucci - - - - 1 - - - - - - - 1
  Claude Laurent 0 - - - - 1 - - 0 - 0 0 1
  Antero Laine - - - - - - - - 1 0 - 0 1
  Federico Ormezzano - - - - - - - - - 1 - - 1
  Roger Clark - - - - - - - - - - - 1 1
1981 World Rally Championship point awards for drivers
Points awarded by finish 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th
20 15 12 10 8 6 4 3 2 1

Events

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1981 World Rally Championship event map
 
Black = Tarmac Brown = Gravel Blue = Snow/Ice Red = Mixed Surface
1981 World Rally Championship schedule and results
Round Rally name Stages Podium finishers
Rank Driver Co-driver Car Time
1   Rallye Monte Carlo
(24–30 January) 		32 stages
757 km
Tarmac 		1   Jean Ragnotti   Jean-Marc Andrié Renault 5 Turbo 9:55:55
2   Guy Fréquelin   Jean Todt Talbot Sunbeam Lotus 9:58:49
3   Jochi Kleint   Gunter Wanger Opel Ascona 400 10:02:54
2   Swedish Rally[1]
(13–15 February) 		25 stages
369 km
Snow/Ice 		1   Hannu Mikkola   Arne Hertz Audi Quattro 3:48:07
2   Ari Vatanen   David Richards Ford Escort RS1800 3:50:00
3   Pentti Airikkala   Risto Virtanen Ford Escort RS1800 3:51:47
3   Rallye de Portugal
(4–7 March) 		46 stages
681 km
Gravel/Tarmac 		1   Markku Alén   Ilkka Kivimäki Fiat 131 Abarth 8:27:26
2   Henri Toivonen   Fred Gallagher Talbot Sunbeam Lotus 8:36:36
3   Björn Waldegård   Hans Thorszelius Toyota Celica 2000GT 8:43:47
4   Safari Rally
(16–20 April) 		77 controls
5209 km
Gravel 		1   Shekhar Mehta   Mike Doughty Datsun Violet GT +3:39 pen
2   Rauno Aaltonen   Lofty Drews Datsun Violet GT +3:44 pen
3   Mike Kirkland   Dave Haworth Datsun 160J +4:51 pen
5   Tour de Corse
(30 April–2 May) 		24 stages
1144 km
Tarmac 		1   Bernard Darniche   Alain Mahé Lancia Stratos HF 14:26.23
2   Guy Fréquelin   Jean Todt Talbot Sunbeam Lotus 14:42:25
3   Tony Pond   Ian Grindrod Datsun Violet GT 14:45.29
6   Acropolis Rally
(1–4 June) 		57 stages
960 km
Gravel 		1   Ari Vatanen   David Richards Ford Escort RS1800 13:17:25
2   Markku Alén   Ilkka Kivimäki Fiat 131 Abarth 13:22:00
3   Attilio Bettega   Maurizio Perissinot Fiat 131 Abarth 13:25:19
7   Rally Codasur
(18–23 July) 		18 stages
1341 km
Gravel 		1   Guy Fréquelin   Jean Todt Talbot Sunbeam Lotus 14:22:52
2   Shekhar Mehta   Mike Doughty Datsun Violet GT 15:01:04
3   Jorge Recalde   Jorge del Bouno Datsun 160J 16:01:19
8   Rallye do Brasil
(6–8 August) 		20 stages
714 km
Gravel 		1   Ari Vatanen   David Richards Ford Escort RS1800 9:39:40
2   Guy Fréquelin   Jean Todt Talbot Sunbeam Lotus 9:48:11
3   Domingo De Vitta   Daniel Muzio Ford Escort RS 10:19:46
9   1000 Lakes Rally
(28–30 August) 		46 stages
440 km
Gravel 		1   Ari Vatanen   David Richards Ford Escort RS1800 4:07:27
2   Markku Alén   Ilkka Kivimäki Fiat 131 Abarth 4:08:26
3   Hannu Mikkola   Arne Hertz Audi Quattro 4:10:19
10   Rallye Sanremo
(5–10 October) 		59 stages
751 km
Gravel/Tarmac 		1   Michèle Mouton   Fabrizia Pons Audi Quattro 8:05:50
2   Henri Toivonen   Fred Gallagher Talbot Sunbeam Lotus 8:09:15
3   Antonio Fassina   Rudy Roberto Dalpozzo Opel Ascona 400 8:12:08
11   Rallye Côte d'Ivoire
(26–31 October) 		56 controls
5087 km
Gravel 		1   Timo Salonen   Seppo Harjanne Datsun Violet GT +9:57 pen
2   Per Eklund   Ragnar Spjuth Toyota Celica 2000GT +11:09 pen
3   Shekhar Mehta   Mike Doughty Datsun Violet GT +11:22 pen
12   RAC Rally
(22–25 November) 		65 stages
722 km
Gravel/Tarmac 		1   Hannu Mikkola   Arne Hertz Audi Quattro 8:30:00
2   Ari Vatanen   David Richards Ford Escort RS1800 8:41:05
3   Stig Blomqvist   Björn Cederberg Talbot Sunbeam Lotus 8:43:36
  1. ^ Event not included in the Manufacturers' Championship

See also

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