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1981 Australian Grand Prix

FieldValue
TypeCUST
DescriptionFormula Pacific race
Grand PrixAustralian
CountryAustralia
ImageFile:Calder Park Map 002.png
Official nameXLVI National Panasonic Australian Grand Prix
LocationCalder Park Raceway, Melbourne, Victoria
Date8 November
Year1981
CoursePermanent racing facility
Course_mi1.000
Course_km1.609
Distance_laps100
Distance_mi100
Distance_km160.9
WeatherSunny
Pole_DriverRoberto Moreno
Pole_CountryBRA
Pole_TeamRalt-Ford
Pole_Time0'39.2
Fast_DriverRoberto Moreno
Fast_TeamRalt-Ford
Fast_Time0'39.8
Fast_CountryBRA
First_DriverRoberto Moreno
First_CountryBRA
First_TeamRalt-Ford
Second_DriverNelson Piquet
Second_CountryBRA
Second_TeamRalt-Ford
Third_DriverGeoff Brabham
Third_CountryAUS
Third_TeamRalt-Ford

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

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:

Qualifying

PosNoDriverCarQualGap123456789101112131415161718192021
19BRA Roberto MorenoRalt RT4 Ford0:39.2—
27AUS Alan JonesRalt RT4 Ford0:39.2+0.0
9BRA Nelson PiquetRalt RT4 Ford0:39.3+0.1
4AUS John BoweRalt RT4 Ford0:39.6+0.4
62AUS Bruce AllisonRalt RT4 Ford0:39.8+0.6
26FRA Jacques LaffiteRalt RT4 Ford0:39.8+0.6
12AUS Geoff BrabhamRalt RT4 Ford0:39.9+0.7
71AUS John SmithRalt RT4 Ford0:39.9+0.7
3AUS Larry PerkinsRalt RT4 Ford0:40.0+0.8
6GBR Ray MallockRalt RT4 Ford0:40.2+1.0
5AUS Andrew MiedeckeRalt RT4 Ford0:40.2+1.0
84AUS Alfredo CostanzoTiga FA81 Ford0:40.3+1.1
2AUS Charlie O'BrienRalt RT4 Ford0:40.4+1.2
18NZL David OxtonRalt RT4 Ford0:40.6+1.4
16AUS Lucio CesarioRalt RT3 Volkswagen Golf0:40.7+1.5
83AUS Peter LarnerKaditcha Ford0:40.7+1.5
7AUS Peter WilliamsonToleman TA860 Toyota0:40.9+1.7
77AUS Mike QuinnGalloway HG1 Ford0:41.4+2.2
11AUS Ron BarnacleRalt RT1 Ford0:41.8+2.6
48AUS Ray HangarMarch 77B Ford0:42.5+3.3
36AUS Bob CreasyBirrana 273 Ford0:43.1+3.9

Race

PosNo.DriverCarEntrantLapsTime1234567891011121314RetRetRetRetRetRetDNS
19BRA Roberto MorenoRalt RT4 FordGraham Watson Motor Racing Pty Ltd1001h 07m 39.2s
9BRA Nelson PiquetRalt RT4 FordGraham Watson Motor Racing Pty Ltd99
12AUS Geoff BrabhamRalt RT4 FordG Brabham99
3AUS Larry PerkinsRalt RT4 FordL Perkins99
5AUS Andrew MiedeckeRalt RT4 FordAW Miedecke99
18NZL David OxtonRalt RT4 FordOxton Motors98
6GBR Ray MallockRalt RT4 FordCliff Smith Racing98
62AUS Bruce AllisonRalt RT4 FordB Allison98
2AUS Charlie O'BrienRalt RT4 FordCitizen Watches Australia98
84AUS Alfredo CostanzoTiga FA81 FordPorsche Cars Australia97
83AUS Peter LarnerKaditcha FordPaul England97
71AUS John SmithRalt RT4 FordOSCL96
11AUS Ron BarnacleRalt RT1 FordNissalco Garage Equipment90
48AUS Ray HangarMarch 77B FordR Hanger87
27AUS Alan JonesRalt RT4 FordTheodore Racing93transmission
26FRA Jacques LaffiteRalt RT4 FordJ Laffite43oil line
7AUS Peter WilliamsonToleman TA860 ToyotaToyota Dealer Team40accident
4AUS John BoweRalt RT4 FordChris Leach Racing15water pump belt
16AUS Lucio CesarioRalt RT3 Volkswagen GolfFormula One Automotive10broken valve spring
36AUS Bob CreasyBirrana 273 FordR Creasy6spin
77AUS Mike QuinnGalloway HG1 FordPeter Williamson Pty Ltdgearbox input shaft

Notes

  • Pole position: Roberto Moreno – 0'39.2
  • Fastest lap: Roberto Moreno – 0'39.8 (145.6 km/h, 90.5 mph)
  • Winner's average speed: 142.8 km/h, 88.7 mph

References

References

  1. (1986). "The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix". R & T Publishing.
  2. Program, National Panasonic Australian Grand Prix, Calder Raceway, 7–8th November 1981
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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