1981 World Rally Championship

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1981 WRC season
Ari Vatanen.jpg
World Champion
Driver: FinlandFinland Ari Vatanen
Manufacturer: FranceFrance 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
ItalyItaly Fiat Auto Torino Fiat Fiat 131 Abarth

Ritmo 75 Abarth

FinlandFinland Markku Alén FinlandFinland Ilkka Kivimäki 1, 3, 6, 9-10
ItalyItaly Attilio Bettega ItalyItaly Maurizio Perissinot 1, 3, 6, 10
ItalyItaly Dario Cerrato ItalyItaly Luciano Guizzardi 1, 3, 10
JapanJapan Team Datsun Europe Datsun Nissan Stanza 160J

Violet GT

FinlandFinland Timo Salonen FinlandFinland Seppo Harjanne 3-7, 9-12
KenyaKenya Shekhar Mehta KenyaKenya Mike Doughty 4, 11
KenyaKenya Yvonne Mehta 6-7
United KingdomUnited Kingdom Tony Pond United KingdomUnited Kingdom Ian Grindrod 3, 5, 10
FinlandFinland Rauno Aaltonen KenyaKenya Lofry Drews 4th
KenyaKenya Mike Kirkland KenyaKenya Dave Haworth 4th
GreeceGreece Iórgos Moschous GreeceGreece Alexandros Constantacus 6th
ArgentinaArgentina Ricardo Zunino ArgentinaArgentina Raúl Campana 7th
ArgentinaArgentina Jorge Recalde ArgentinaArgentina Jorge del Buono 7th
FranceFrance Michel Mitri FranceFrance Marcel Copetti 11
United KingdomUnited Kingdom Rothmans Rally Team ford Escort RS1800 FinlandFinland Ari Vatanen United KingdomUnited Kingdom David Richards 1-3, 6-12
FinlandFinland Pentti Airikkala FinlandFinland Risto Virtanen 2, 9
United KingdomUnited Kingdom Phil Short 12
United KingdomUnited Kingdom Malcolm Wilson United KingdomUnited Kingdom Terry Harryman 3, 6, 12
United KingdomUnited Kingdom John Taylor United KingdomUnited Kingdom John Spiller 11
GermanyGermany Opel Euro Dealer Team / Publimmo Racing Opel Opel Ascona 400 GermanyGermany Jochi Kleint GermanyGermany Gunter Wanger 1, 4, 6
SwedenSweden Anders Kulläng SwedenSweden Bruno Berglund 1-4
United KingdomUnited Kingdom Talbot Talbot Sunbeam Lotus FranceFrance Guy Fréquelin FranceFrance Jean Todt 1, 3, 5-8, 10, 12
FinlandFinland Henri Toivonen United KingdomUnited Kingdom Fred Gallagher 1, 3, 5-6, 9-10, 12
SwedenSweden Stig Blomqvist SwedenSweden Bjorn Cederberg 9, 12
JapanJapan Toyota Team Europe Toyota Toyota Celica 2000GT SwedenSweden Björn Waldegård SwedenSweden Hans Thorszelius 3, 5-6, 9, 11-12
SwedenSweden Per Eklund SwedenSweden Ragnar Spjuth 3, 11-12
SwedenSweden Jan-Olof Bohlin 5
SwedenSweden Bjorn Cederberg 6th
FinlandFinland Tapio Rainio FinlandFinland Erkki Nyman 9
LebanonLebanon Samir Assef FranceFrance Jacques Jaubert 11
FranceFrance Renault Sport Elf Renault 5 turbo FranceFrance Jean Ragnotti FranceFrance Jean-Marc Andrié 1, 5
United KingdomUnited Kingdom Martin Holmes 12
JapanJapan Mitsubishi Team Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer Turbo SwedenSweden Anders Kulläng SwedenSweden Bruno Berglund 6, 9, 12
United KingdomUnited Kingdom Andrew Cowan United KingdomUnited Kingdom Johnstone Syer 6th
United KingdomUnited Kingdom Derek Tucker 12
FinlandFinland Kyösti Hämäläinen FinlandFinland Tapio Vanhala 9
FinlandFinland Antero Laine FinlandFinland Juha Piironen 9
GermanyGermany Audi Sport Audi Audi quattro FinlandFinland Hannu Mikkola SwedenSweden Arne Hertz 1-3, 5-6, 9-10, 12
FranceFrance Michèle Mouton ItalyItaly Fabrizia Pons 1, 3, 5-6, 9-10, 12
AustriaAustria Franz Wittmann AustriaAustria Kurt Nestinger 6, 9
ItalyItaly Michele Cinotto ItalyItaly 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
rally rank driver vehicle Total time
h: min: sec
Number of WP length Started in the target
MonacoMonaco Monte Carlo Rally
January 24th to 30th, 1981
1. FranceFrance Jean Ragnotti Renault 5 Turbo 9:55:55 32 757.00 km 263 83
2. FranceFrance Guy Fréquelin Talbot Sunbeam Lotus + 02:54
3. GermanyGermany Jochen Kleint Opel Ascona 400 + 06:59
SwedenSweden Rally Sweden
13th to 15th February 1981
1. FinlandFinland Hannu Mikkola Audi Quattro 3:48:07 25th 369.00 km 116 73
2. FinlandFinland Ari Vatanen Ford Escort RS1800 + 01:53
3. FinlandFinland Pentti Airikkala Ford Escort RS1800 + 03:40
PortugalPortugal Rally Portugal
4th to 7th March 1981
1. FinlandFinland Markku Alén Fiat 131 Abarth 8:27:26 46 678.00 km 95 24
2. FinlandFinland Henri Toivonen Talbot Sunbeam Lotus + 09:11
3. SwedenSweden Björn Waldegård Toyota Celica 2000 GT + 16:21
KenyaKenya Safari Rally
April 16-20, 1981
1. KenyaKenya Shekhar Mehta Datsun Violet GT 3:39:00 77
time controls
5209 km 70 21st
2. FinlandFinland Rauno Aaltonen Datsun Violet GT + 0:03:44
3. KenyaKenya Mike Kirkland Datsun 160J + 1:12:00
FranceFrance Rally France
April 30th to May 2nd 1981
1. FranceFrance Bernard Darniche Lancia Stratos HF 14:26:23 24 1144.60 km 120 42
2. FranceFrance Guy Fréquelin Talbot Sunbeam Lotus + 16:02
3. United KingdomUnited Kingdom Tony Pond Datsun Violet GT + 19:06
GreeceGreece Rally Greece
1st to 4th June 1981
1. FinlandFinland Ari Vatanen Ford Escort RS1800 13:17:25 57 995.59 km 133 23
2. FinlandFinland Markku Alén Fiat 131 Abarth + 04:35
3. ItalyItaly Attilio Bettega Fiat 131 Abarth + 07:54
ArgentinaArgentina Rally Argentina
July 18-23, 1981
1. FranceFrance Guy Fréquelin Talbot Sunbeam Lotus 14:22:52 18th 1,346.60 km 80 26th
2. KenyaKenya Shekhar Mehta Datsun Violet GT + 38:52
3. ArgentinaArgentina Jorge Recalde Datsun 160J + 1:31:27
Brazil 1968Brazil Rally Brazil
August 6-8, 1981
1. FinlandFinland Ari Vatanen Ford Escort RS1800 9:39:40 20th 714.00 km 76 9
2. FranceFrance Guy Fréquelin Talbot Sunbeam + 08:31
3. UruguayUruguay Domingo De Vitta Ford Escort + 40:06
FinlandFinland Rally Finland
28-30 August 1981
1. FinlandFinland Ari Vatanen Ford Escort RS1800 4:07:27 46 453.09 km 146 66
2. FinlandFinland Markku Alén Fiat 131 Abarth + 00:59
3. FinlandFinland Hannu Mikkola Audi Quattro + 02:52
ItalyItaly Rally Sanremo
October 5th to 10th 1981
1. FranceFrance Michèle Mouton Audi Quattro 8:05:50 59 751.00 km 63 27
2. FinlandFinland Henri Toivonen Talbot Sunbeam Lotus + 03:25
3. ItalyItaly Antonio Fassina Opel Ascona 400 + 06:18
Ivory CoastIvory Coast Ivory Coast Rally
October 26th to 31st, 1981
1. FinlandFinland Timo Salonen Datsun Violet GT 9:57:00 56
time controls
5087 km 51 9
2. SwedenSweden Per Eklund Toyota Celica 2000GT + 1:12:00
3. KenyaKenya Shekhar Mehta Datsun Violet GT + 1:25:00
United KingdomUnited Kingdom Rally Great Britain
November 22-25, 1981
1. FinlandFinland Hannu Mikkola Audi Quattro 8:30:00 65 722.00 km 151 54
2. FinlandFinland Ari Vatanen Ford Escort RS1800 + 11:05
3. SwedenSweden Stig Blomqvist Talbot Sunbeam Lotus + 13:36

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 MonacoMonaco
MON
SwedenSweden
SWE
PortugalPortugal
POR
KenyaKenya
KEN
FranceFrance
FRA
GreeceGreece
GRE
ArgentinaArgentina
ARG
Brazil 1968Brazil
BRA
FinlandFinland
FIN
ItalyItaly
ITA
Ivory CoastIvory Coast
CIV
United KingdomUnited Kingdom
GBR
Points
01 FinlandFinland Ari Vatanen - 15th - - - 20th - 20th 20th 4th 2 15th 96
02 FranceFrance Guy Fréquelin 15th - 6th - 15th 10 20th 15th - - 8th - 89
03 FinlandFinland Hannu Mikkola - 20th - - - - - - 12 10 - 20th 62
04th FinlandFinland Markku Alén 4th - 20th - - 15th - - 15th 2 - - 56
05 KenyaKenya Shekhar Mehta - - - 20th - 8th 15th - - - 12 - 55
06th FinlandFinland Timo Salonen - - - 10 - - - - 10 - 20th - 40
07th FinlandFinland Henri Toivonen 8th - 15th - - - - - - 15th - - 38
08th FranceFrance Michèle Mouton - - 10 - - - - - - 20th - - 30th
09 FinlandFinland Pentti Airikkala - 12 - - - - - - 8th - - 10 30th
10 SwedenSweden Per Eklund - 2 - - 6th - - - - - 15th 6th 29
11 FranceFrance Jean Ragnotti 20th - - - - - - - - - - 8th 28
12 FranceFrance Bernard Darniche 6th - - - 20th - - - - - - - 26th
13 SwedenSweden Stig Blomqvist - 8th - - - - - - 3 - - 12 23
14th ArgentinaArgentina Jorge Recalde - - - - - - 12 10 - - - - 22nd
15th SwedenSweden Anders Kulläng 10 10 - - - - - - - - - 2 22nd
16 GermanyGermany Jochi Kleint 12 - - 8th - - - - - - - - 20th
United KingdomUnited Kingdom Tony Pond - - 8th - 12 - - - - - - - 20th
18th SwedenSweden Björn Waldegård 3 - 12 - - - - - 2 - - - 17th
19th FinlandFinland Rauno Aaltonen - - - 15th - - - - - - - - 15th
20th KenyaKenya Mike Kirkland - - - 12 - - - - - - - - 12
ItalyItaly Attilio Bettega - - - - - 12 - - - - - - 12
UruguayUruguay Domingo De Vitta - - - - - - - 12 - - - - 12
ItalyItaly Antonio Fassina - - - - - - - - - 12 - - 12
24 SwedenSweden Bjorn Johansson - 6th - - - - - - 6th - - 0 12
25th United KingdomUnited Kingdom Terry Kaby - - - - 8th - - - - - - 3 11
26th FranceFrance Jean-Pierre Ballet - - - - 10 - - - - - - - 10
ArgentinaArgentina Ernesto Soto - - - - - - 10 - - - - - 10
FranceFrance Michel Mitri - - - - - - - - - - 10 - 10
29 ArgentinaArgentina Ricardo Albertengo - - - - - - 8th - - - - - 10
PortugalPortugal Carlos Torres - - - - - - - 8th - - - - 8th
ItalyItaly Luigi Battistolli - - - - - - - - - 8th - - 8th
32 FinlandFinland Leave Lampi - 4th - - - - - - 4th - - - 8th
33 FranceFrance Jean-Claude Lefebvre - - - 6th - - - - - - - - 6th
GreeceGreece Iórgos Moschous - - - - - 6th - - - - - - 6th
UruguayUruguay Luis Etchegoyen - - - - - - 6th - - - - - 6th
UruguayUruguay Gustavo Trelles - - - - - - - 6th - - - - 6th
ItalyItaly Miki biasion - - - - - - - - - 6th - - 6th
FranceFrance Alain Ambrosino - - - 0 - - - - - - 6th - 6th
39 SwedenSweden Soeren Nilsson - - - - - - 1 4th - - - - 5
ArgentinaArgentina Horacio Maglione - 1 - - - - - - - - - 4th 5
41 Spain 1977Spain Rafael 'Cid' - - 4th - - - - - - - - - 4th
JapanJapan Yoshio Iwashita - - - 4th - - - - - - - - 4th
ItalyItaly Jean-Michel Tichadou - - - - 4th - - - - - - - 4th
GreeceGreece Kóstas Apostolou - - - - - 4th - - - - - - 4th
UruguayUruguay Federico West - - - - - - 4th - - - - - 4th
LebanonLebanon Samir Assef - - - - - - - - - - 4th - 4th
47 SwedenSweden Ola Strömberg - 3 - - - - - - - - - - 3
PortugalPortugal Manuel Queirós Pereira - - 3 - - - - - - - - - 3
KenyaKenya Jayant Shah - - - 3 - - - - - - - - 3
FranceFrance Gérard Swaton - - - - 3 - - - - - - - 3
Czech RepublicCzech Republic Václav Blahna - - - - - 3 - - - - - - 3
ArgentinaArgentina Luís Romero - - - - - - 3 - - - - - 3
UruguayUruguay Julio Berges - - - - - - - 3 - - - - 3
ItalyItaly Dario Cerrato 0 - 0 - - - - - - 3 - - 3
Ivory CoastIvory Coast Jacques Durieu - - - - - - - - - - 3 - 3
56 FranceFrance Jacques Alméras 2 - - - - - - - - - - - 2
PortugalPortugal Joaquim Moutinho - - 2 - - - - - - - - - 2
United StatesUnited States Malcolm Smith - - - 2 - - - - - - - - 2
FranceFrance Camille Bartoli - - - - 2 - - - - - - - 2
GreeceGreece Pavlos Moschoutis - - - - - 2 - - - - - - 2
ArgentinaArgentina Miguel Tubal - - - - - - 2 - - - - - 2
Brazil 1968Brazil Maria Carmo Zacarias - - - - - - - 2 - - - - 2
63 FranceFrance Alain Coppier 1 - - - - - - - - - - - 1
JapanJapan Kenjirō Shinozuka - - 1 - - - - - - - - - 1
United StatesUnited States Rod Hall - - - 1 - - - - - - - - 1
FranceFrance Jean-Felix Farrucci - - - - 1 - - - - - - - 1
FranceFrance Claude Laurent 0 - - - - 1 - - 0 - 0 0 1
FinlandFinland Antero Laine - - - - - - - - 1 0 - 0 1
ItalyItaly Federico Ormezzano - - - - - - - - - 1 - - 1
United KingdomUnited Kingdom Roger Clark - - - - - - - - - - - 1 1
rank driver MonacoMonaco
MON
SwedenSweden
SWE
PortugalPortugal
POR
KenyaKenya
KEN
FranceFrance
FRA
GreeceGreece
GRE
ArgentinaArgentina
ARG
Brazil 1968Brazil
BRA
FinlandFinland
FIN
ItalyItaly
ITA
Ivory CoastIvory Coast
CIV
United KingdomUnited Kingdom
GBR
Points

Manufacturers' championship WRC

rank Manufacturer
MonacoMonaco
MON
SwedenSweden
SWE
PortugalPortugal
POR
KenyaKenya
KEN
FranceFrance
FRA
GreeceGreece
GRE
ArgentinaArgentina
ARG
Brazil 1968Brazil
BRA
FinlandFinland
FIN
ItalyItaly
ITA
Ivory CoastIvory Coast
CIV
United KingdomUnited Kingdom
GBR
Points
01 FranceFrance Talbot 17th - 17th - 17th 15th 18th - - 17th - 16 117
02 JapanJapan Datsun - - 13 18th 15th 13 17th - 12 - 18th - 106
03 United StatesUnited States ford - - 9 - 12 18th - - 18th 7th - 16 80
04th GermanyGermany Opel 15th - 11 12 8th - - - 8th 15th - - 69
05 GermanyGermany Audi - - 13 - - - - - 14th 18th - 18th 63
06th ItalyItaly Fiat 8th - 18th - - 16 - - 16 5 - - 63
07th FranceFrance Renault 18th - - - 7th 10 15th - - - - 11 61
08th JapanJapan Toyota - - 15th - 11 - - - 3 - 16 9 54
09 FranceFrance Peugeot - - - 10 - 4th 12 - - - 11 - 37
10 ItalyItaly Lancia 10 - - - 18th - - - - - - - 28
11 GermanyGermany Porsche 4th - - - 15th - - - - - - - 19th
12 Czech RepublicCzech Republic Škoda - - - - - 8th - - - - - - 8th
13 United StatesUnited States Dodge - - - 6th - - - - - - - - 6th
14th JapanJapan Mitsubishi - - - - - - - - 1 - - 3 4th
rank Manufacturer
MonacoMonaco
MON
SwedenSweden
SWE
PortugalPortugal
POR
KenyaKenya
KEN
FranceFrance
FRA
GreeceGreece
GRE
ArgentinaArgentina
ARG
Brazil 1968Brazil
BRA
FinlandFinland
FIN
ItalyItaly
ITA
Ivory CoastIvory Coast
CIV
United KingdomUnited Kingdom
GBR
Points

Individual evidence

  1. ewrc-results.com: Season 1981 , February 8, 2015

Web links