1981 Australian Grand Prix

The 1981 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula Pacific motor race held at Calder Park Raceway in Victoria, Australia on 8 November 1981.

1981 Australian Grand Prix
Formula Pacific race
Race details
Date 8 November 1981
Official name XLVI National Panasonic Australian Grand Prix
Location Calder Park Raceway, Melbourne, Victoria
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 1.609 km (1.000 mi)
Distance 100 laps, 160.9 km (100 mi)
Weather Sunny
Pole position
Driver
Ralt-Ford
Time 0'39.2
Fastest lap
Driver Roberto Moreno Ralt-Ford
Time 0'39.8
Podium
First
Ralt-Ford
Second
Ralt-Ford
Third
Ralt-Ford

It was the forty sixth Australian Grand Prix and the first to be restricted to Formula Pacific racing cars. It was the first AGP since 1968 to feature two or more current or past World Drivers' Champions with reigning 1981 World Champion Nelson Piquet of Brazil and Australia's 1980 World Champion Alan Jones both in the field.

The race was won by 22-year-old Roberto Moreno by over a lap from Nelson Piquet with Australian Geoff Brabham finishing third. The top three drivers all drove Ralt RT4's (13 of the 20 starters were in fact driving the 1.6L Ford powered RT4's). To actually be able to compete in the Grand Prix Moreno needed five endorsements before the race to be able to obtain his FIA Super Licence, the first endorsement coming from Calder Park Clerk of Course Ken Smith.

Defending race winner Alan Jones failed to finish after transmission failure in his RT4 six laps from the finish while in second place. The first resident Australian driver home was another ex-Formula One driver and future touring car star Larry Perkins who finished fourth, one lap behind Moreno.

Classification

Results as follows:[1]

Qualifying
PosNoDriverCarQualGap
1 19 Roberto Moreno Ralt RT4 Ford 0:39.2 —
2 27 Alan Jones Ralt RT4 Ford 0:39.2 +0.0
3 9 Nelson Piquet Ralt RT4 Ford 0:39.3 +0.1
4 4 John Bowe Ralt RT4 Ford 0:39.6 +0.4
5 62 Bruce Allison Ralt RT4 Ford 0:39.8 +0.6
6 26 Jacques Laffite Ralt RT4 Ford 0:39.8 +0.6
7 12 Geoff Brabham Ralt RT4 Ford 0:39.9 +0.7
8 71 John Smith Ralt RT4 Ford 0:39.9 +0.7
9 3 Larry Perkins Ralt RT4 Ford 0:40.0 +0.8
10 6 Ray Mallock Ralt RT4 Ford 0:40.2 +1.0
11 5 Andrew Miedecke Ralt RT4 Ford 0:40.2 +1.0
12 84 Alfredo Costanzo Tiga FA81 Ford 0:40.3 +1.1
13 2 Charlie O'Brien Ralt RT4 Ford 0:40.4 +1.2
14 18 David Oxton Ralt RT4 Ford 0:40.6 +1.4
15 16 Lucio Cesario Ralt RT3 Volkswagen Golf 0:40.7 +1.5
16 83 Peter Larner Kaditcha Ford 0:40.7 +1.5
17 7 Peter Williamson Toleman TA860 Toyota 0:40.9 +1.7
18 77 Mike Quinn Galloway HG1 Ford 0:41.4 +2.2
19 11 Ron Barnacle Ralt RT1 Ford 0:41.8 +2.6
20 48 Ray Hangar March 77B Ford 0:42.5 +3.3
21 36 Bob Creasy Birrana 273 Ford 0:43.1 +3.9

Race
Roberto Moreno won the race driving a Ralt RT4 similar to that pictured above
Pos No. Driver Car Entrant [2] Laps Time
1 19 Roberto Moreno Ralt RT4 Ford Graham Watson Motor Racing Pty Ltd 100 1h 07m 39.2s
2 9 Nelson Piquet Ralt RT4 Ford Graham Watson Motor Racing Pty Ltd 99
3 12 Geoff Brabham Ralt RT4 Ford G Brabham 99
4 3 Larry Perkins Ralt RT4 Ford L Perkins 99
5 5 Andrew Miedecke Ralt RT4 Ford AW Miedecke 99
6 18 David Oxton Ralt RT4 Ford Oxton Motors 98
7 6 Ray Mallock Ralt RT4 Ford Cliff Smith Racing 98
8 62 Bruce Allison Ralt RT4 Ford B Allison 98
9 2 Charlie O'Brien Ralt RT4 Ford Citizen Watches Australia 98
10 84 Alfredo Costanzo Tiga FA81 Ford Porsche Cars Australia 97
11 83 Peter Larner Kaditcha Ford Paul England 97
12 71 John Smith Ralt RT4 Ford OSCL 96
13 11 Ron Barnacle Ralt RT1 Ford Nissalco Garage Equipment 90
14 48 Ray Hangar March 77B Ford R Hanger 87
Ret 27 Alan Jones Ralt RT4 Ford Theodore Racing 93 transmission
Ret 26 Jacques Laffite Ralt RT4 Ford J Laffite 43 oil line
Ret 7 Peter Williamson Toleman TA860 Toyota Toyota Dealer Team 40 accident
Ret 4 John Bowe Ralt RT4 Ford Chris Leach Racing 15 water pump belt
Ret 16 Lucio Cesario Ralt RT3 Volkswagen Golf Formula One Automotive 10 broken valve spring
Ret 36 Bob Creasy Birrana 273 Ford R Creasy 6 spin
DNS 77 Mike Quinn Galloway HG1 Ford Peter Williamson Pty Ltd gearbox input shaft

Notes

References
  1. Wilson, Stewart (1986). "1981". In Howard, Graham (ed.). The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix. Gordon, NSW: R & T Publishing. pp. 448–454. ISBN 0-9588464-0-5.
  2. Program, National Panasonic Australian Grand Prix, Calder Raceway, 7-8th November 1981
Preceded by
1980 Australian Grand Prix		 Australian Grand Prix
1981		 Succeeded by
1982 Australian Grand Prix
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