1981 WRC season
World Champion
Driver:
Finland Ari Vatanen
Manufacturer:
France Talbot
Season dates
Number of rallies:
12
<1980 season
1982 season>
The 1981 World Rally Championship was the ninth World Rally Championship organized by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). It was held in twelve races from January 24th to November 25th. Talbot won the manufacturers' championship. For the third time an official driver world champion was determined. Walter Röhrl did not compete as the reigning world champion from 1980 because his new contract partner Mercedes-Benz left shortly before the Monte Carlo rally. The Finn Ari Vatanen won the world championship in 1981 with a Ford Escort RS 1800.
vehicles
Teams and drivers
team
Manufacturer
automobile
driver
Co-driver
rally
Italy Fiat Auto Torino
Fiat
Fiat 131 Abarth
Ritmo 75 Abarth
Finland Markku Alén
Finland Ilkka Kivimäki
1, 3, 6, 9-10
Italy Attilio Bettega
Italy Maurizio Perissinot
1, 3, 6, 10
Italy Dario Cerrato
Italy Luciano Guizzardi
1, 3, 10
Japan Team Datsun Europe
Datsun
Nissan Stanza 160J
Violet GT
Finland Timo Salonen
Finland Seppo Harjanne
3-7, 9-12
Kenya Shekhar Mehta
Kenya Mike Doughty
4, 11
Kenya Yvonne Mehta
6-7
United Kingdom Tony Pond
United Kingdom Ian Grindrod
3, 5, 10
Finland Rauno Aaltonen
Kenya Lofry Drews
4th
Kenya Mike Kirkland
Kenya Dave Haworth
4th
Greece Iórgos Moschous
Greece Alexandros Constantacus
6th
Argentina Ricardo Zunino
Argentina Raúl Campana
7th
Argentina Jorge Recalde
Argentina Jorge del Buono
7th
France Michel Mitri
France Marcel Copetti
11
United Kingdom Rothmans Rally Team
ford
Escort RS1800
Finland Ari Vatanen
United Kingdom David Richards
1-3, 6-12
Finland Pentti Airikkala
Finland Risto Virtanen
2, 9
United Kingdom Phil Short
12
United Kingdom Malcolm Wilson
United Kingdom Terry Harryman
3, 6, 12
United Kingdom John Taylor
United Kingdom John Spiller
11
Germany Opel Euro Dealer Team / Publimmo Racing
Opel
Opel Ascona 400
Germany Jochi Kleint
Germany Gunter Wanger
1, 4, 6
Sweden Anders Kulläng
Sweden Bruno Berglund
1-4
United Kingdom Talbot
Talbot
Sunbeam Lotus
France Guy Fréquelin
France Jean Todt
1, 3, 5-8, 10, 12
Finland Henri Toivonen
United Kingdom Fred Gallagher
1, 3, 5-6, 9-10, 12
Sweden Stig Blomqvist
Sweden Bjorn Cederberg
9, 12
Japan Toyota Team Europe
Toyota
Toyota Celica 2000GT
Sweden Björn Waldegård
Sweden Hans Thorszelius
3, 5-6, 9, 11-12
Sweden Per Eklund
Sweden Ragnar Spjuth
3, 11-12
Sweden Jan-Olof Bohlin
5
Sweden Bjorn Cederberg
6th
Finland Tapio Rainio
Finland Erkki Nyman
9
Lebanon Samir Assef
France Jacques Jaubert
11
France Renault Sport Elf
Renault
5 turbo
France Jean Ragnotti
France Jean-Marc Andrié
1, 5
United Kingdom Martin Holmes
12
Japan Mitsubishi Team Ralliart
Mitsubishi
Lancer Turbo
Sweden Anders Kulläng
Sweden Bruno Berglund
6, 9, 12
United Kingdom Andrew Cowan
United Kingdom Johnstone Syer
6th
United Kingdom Derek Tucker
12
Finland Kyösti Hämäläinen
Finland Tapio Vanhala
9
Finland Antero Laine
Finland Juha Piironen
9
Germany Audi Sport
Audi
Audi quattro
Finland Hannu Mikkola
Sweden Arne Hertz
1-3, 5-6, 9-10, 12
France Michèle Mouton
Italy Fabrizia Pons
1, 3, 5-6, 9-10, 12
Austria Franz Wittmann
Austria Kurt Nestinger
6, 9
Italy Michele Cinotto
Italy Emilio Radaelli
10
Competitions
The kilometers entered correspond to the distance of the special stages. The distance of the connecting routes between the individual special stages is not included (except for the rally safari and Ivory Coast).
colour
Underground
gold
gravel
silver
asphalt
blue
Ice / snow
bronze
Mixed
Overall rating
WRC drivers' championship
rank
1
2
3
4th
5
6th
7th
8th
9
10
Points
20th
15th
12
10
8th
6th
4th
3
2
1
rank
driver
Monaco MON
Sweden SWE
Portugal POR
Kenya KEN
France FRA
Greece GRE
Argentina ARG
Brazil 1968 BRA
Finland FIN
Italy ITA
Ivory Coast CIV
United Kingdom GBR
Points
0 1
Finland Ari Vatanen
-
15th
-
-
-
20th
-
20th
20th
4th
2
15th
96
0 2
France Guy Fréquelin
15th
-
6th
-
15th
10
20th
15th
-
-
8th
-
89
0 3
Finland Hannu Mikkola
-
20th
-
-
-
-
-
-
12
10
-
20th
62
0 4th
Finland Markku Alén
4th
-
20th
-
-
15th
-
-
15th
2
-
-
56
0 5
Kenya Shekhar Mehta
-
-
-
20th
-
8th
15th
-
-
-
12
-
55
0 6th
Finland Timo Salonen
-
-
-
10
-
-
-
-
10
-
20th
-
40
0 7th
Finland Henri Toivonen
8th
-
15th
-
-
-
-
-
-
15th
-
-
38
0 8th
France Michèle Mouton
-
-
10
-
-
-
-
-
-
20th
-
-
30th
0 9
Finland Pentti Airikkala
-
12
-
-
-
-
-
-
8th
-
-
10
30th
10
Sweden Per Eklund
-
2
-
-
6th
-
-
-
-
-
15th
6th
29
11
France Jean Ragnotti
20th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
8th
28
12
France Bernard Darniche
6th
-
-
-
20th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
26th
13
Sweden Stig Blomqvist
-
8th
-
-
-
-
-
-
3
-
-
12
23
14th
Argentina Jorge Recalde
-
-
-
-
-
-
12
10
-
-
-
-
22nd
15th
Sweden Anders Kulläng
10
10
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2
22nd
16
Germany Jochi Kleint
12
-
-
8th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
20th
United Kingdom Tony Pond
-
-
8th
-
12
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
20th
18th
Sweden Björn Waldegård
3
-
12
-
-
-
-
-
2
-
-
-
17th
19th
Finland Rauno Aaltonen
-
-
-
15th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
15th
20th
Kenya Mike Kirkland
-
-
-
12
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
12
Italy Attilio Bettega
-
-
-
-
-
12
-
-
-
-
-
-
12
Uruguay Domingo De Vitta
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
12
-
-
-
-
12
Italy Antonio Fassina
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
12
-
-
12
24
Sweden Bjorn Johansson
-
6th
-
-
-
-
-
-
6th
-
-
0
12
25th
United Kingdom Terry Kaby
-
-
-
-
8th
-
-
-
-
-
-
3
11
26th
France Jean-Pierre Ballet
-
-
-
-
10
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
10
Argentina Ernesto Soto
-
-
-
-
-
-
10
-
-
-
-
-
10
France Michel Mitri
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
10
-
10
29
Argentina Ricardo Albertengo
-
-
-
-
-
-
8th
-
-
-
-
-
10
Portugal Carlos Torres
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
8th
-
-
-
-
8th
Italy Luigi Battistolli
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
8th
-
-
8th
32
Finland Leave Lampi
-
4th
-
-
-
-
-
-
4th
-
-
-
8th
33
France Jean-Claude Lefebvre
-
-
-
6th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
6th
Greece Iórgos Moschous
-
-
-
-
-
6th
-
-
-
-
-
-
6th
Uruguay Luis Etchegoyen
-
-
-
-
-
-
6th
-
-
-
-
-
6th
Uruguay Gustavo Trelles
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
6th
-
-
-
-
6th
Italy Miki biasion
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
6th
-
-
6th
France Alain Ambrosino
-
-
-
0
-
-
-
-
-
-
6th
-
6th
39
Sweden Soeren Nilsson
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
4th
-
-
-
-
5
Argentina Horacio Maglione
-
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
4th
5
41
Spain 1977 Rafael 'Cid'
-
-
4th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
4th
Japan Yoshio Iwashita
-
-
-
4th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
4th
Italy Jean-Michel Tichadou
-
-
-
-
4th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
4th
Greece Kóstas Apostolou
-
-
-
-
-
4th
-
-
-
-
-
-
4th
Uruguay Federico West
-
-
-
-
-
-
4th
-
-
-
-
-
4th
Lebanon Samir Assef
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
4th
-
4th
47
Sweden Ola Strömberg
-
3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
3
Portugal Manuel Queirós Pereira
-
-
3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
3
Kenya Jayant Shah
-
-
-
3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
3
France Gérard Swaton
-
-
-
-
3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
3
Czech Republic Václav Blahna
-
-
-
-
-
3
-
-
-
-
-
-
3
Argentina Luís Romero
-
-
-
-
-
-
3
-
-
-
-
-
3
Uruguay Julio Berges
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
3
-
-
-
-
3
Italy Dario Cerrato
0
-
0
-
-
-
-
-
-
3
-
-
3
Ivory Coast Jacques Durieu
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
3
-
3
56
France Jacques Alméras
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2
Portugal Joaquim Moutinho
-
-
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2
United States Malcolm Smith
-
-
-
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2
France Camille Bartoli
-
-
-
-
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2
Greece Pavlos Moschoutis
-
-
-
-
-
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
2
Argentina Miguel Tubal
-
-
-
-
-
-
2
-
-
-
-
-
2
Brazil 1968 Maria Carmo Zacarias
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2
-
-
-
-
2
63
France Alain Coppier
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
Japan Kenjirō Shinozuka
-
-
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
United States Rod Hall
-
-
-
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
France Jean-Felix Farrucci
-
-
-
-
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
France Claude Laurent
0
-
-
-
-
1
-
-
0
-
0
0
1
Finland Antero Laine
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
0
-
0
1
Italy Federico Ormezzano
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
-
-
1
United Kingdom Roger Clark
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
1
rank
driver
Monaco MON
Sweden SWE
Portugal POR
Kenya KEN
France FRA
Greece GRE
Argentina ARG
Brazil 1968 BRA
Finland FIN
Italy ITA
Ivory Coast CIV
United Kingdom GBR
Points
Manufacturers' championship WRC
rank
Manufacturer
Monaco MON
Sweden SWE
Portugal POR
Kenya KEN
France FRA
Greece GRE
Argentina ARG
Brazil 1968 BRA
Finland FIN
Italy ITA
Ivory Coast CIV
United Kingdom GBR
Points
0 1
France Talbot
17th
-
17th
-
17th
15th
18th
-
-
17th
-
16
117
0 2
Japan Datsun
-
-
13
18th
15th
13
17th
-
12
-
18th
-
106
0 3
United States ford
-
-
9
-
12
18th
-
-
18th
7th
-
16
80
0 4th
Germany Opel
15th
-
11
12
8th
-
-
-
8th
15th
-
-
69
0 5
Germany Audi
-
-
13
-
-
-
-
-
14th
18th
-
18th
63
0 6th
Italy Fiat
8th
-
18th
-
-
16
-
-
16
5
-
-
63
0 7th
France Renault
18th
-
-
-
7th
10
15th
-
-
-
-
11
61
0 8th
Japan Toyota
-
-
15th
-
11
-
-
-
3
-
16
9
54
0 9
France Peugeot
-
-
-
10
-
4th
12
-
-
-
11
-
37
10
Italy Lancia
10
-
-
-
18th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
28
11
Germany Porsche
4th
-
-
-
15th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
19th
12
Czech Republic Škoda
-
-
-
-
-
8th
-
-
-
-
-
-
8th
13
United States Dodge
-
-
-
6th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
6th
14th
Japan Mitsubishi
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
-
-
3
4th
rank
Manufacturer
Monaco MON
Sweden SWE
Portugal POR
Kenya KEN
France FRA
Greece GRE
Argentina ARG
Brazil 1968 BRA
Finland FIN
Italy ITA
Ivory Coast CIV
United Kingdom GBR
Points
Individual evidence
↑ ewrc-results.com: Season 1981 , February 8, 2015
Web links
<img src="https://de.wikipedia.org//de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1" alt="" title="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;">