The following is an overview of the events of 1981 in motorsport including the major racing events, motorsport venues that were opened and closed during a year, championships and non-championship events that were established and disestablished in a year, and births and deaths of racing drivers and other motorsport people.
Annual events
editThe calendar includes only annual major non-championship events or annual events that had significance separate from the championship. For the dates of the championship events see related season articles.
Date | Event | Ref |
---|---|---|
1–20 January | 3rd Dakar Rally | [1] |
31 January-1 February | 19th 24 Hours of Daytona | [2] |
15 February | 23rd Daytona 500 | [3] |
24 May | 65th Indianapolis 500 | [4] |
31 May | 39th Monaco Grand Prix | [5] |
6–11 June | 64th Isle of Man TT | [6] |
13–14 June | 49th 24 Hours of Le Mans | [7] |
3–4 October | 10th 24 Hours of Nurburgring | [8] |
25–26 July | 33rd 24 Hours of Spa | [9] |
26 July | 4th Suzuka 8 Hours | [10] |
5 October | 22nd James Hardie 1000 | [11] |
15 November | 28th Macau Grand Prix | [12] |
Births
editDate | Month | Name | Nationality | Occupation | Note | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | January | Zsolt Baumgartner | Hungarian | Racing driver | The first Hungarian Formula One driver. | [13] |
24 | February | Timo Bernhard | German | Racing driver | 24 Hours of Le Mans winner (2010, 2017). FIA World Endurance champion (2015, 2017). | [14] |
1 | March | Will Power | Australian | Racing driver | Winner of the Indianapolis 500 (2018). | [15] |
29 | July | Fernando Alonso | Spanish | Racing driver | Formula One World Champion (2005-2006). FIA World Endurance champion (2018-19). | [16] |
30 | Nicky Hayden | American | Motorcycle racer | MotoGP World champion (2006). | [17] | |
19 | October | Heikki Kovalainen | Finnish | Racing driver | 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix winner. | [18] |
31 | Mike Rockenfeller | German | Racing driver | 24 Hours of Le Mans winner (2010). Le Mans Series champion (2008). | [19] | |
19 | November | André Lotterer | German | Racing driver | 24 Hours of Le Mans winner (2011-2012, 2014). FIA World Endurance champion (2012). | [20] |
Deaths
editDate | Month | Name | Age | Nationality | Occupation | Note | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | January | Mauri Rose | 84 | American | Racing driver | Indianapolis 500 winner (1941, 1947-1948). | [21] |
9 | Sammy Davis | 93 | British | Racing driver | 24 Hours of Le Mans winner (1927). | [22] | |
21 | Cuth Harrison | 74 | British | Racing driver | One of the first British Formula One drivers. | [23] | |
23 | March | Mike Hailwood | 40 | British | Motorcycle racer | 500cc Grand Prix motorcycle racing World champion (1962-1965). | [24] |
13 | October | Philippe Étancelin | 84 | French | Racing driver | Winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1934) | [25] |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "1981 Dakar Rally" (PDF). rssp.eu. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
- ^ "Daytona 24 Hours 1981 - Racing Sports Cars". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
- ^ "1981 Daytona 500". racing-reference.info. Racing Reference. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
- ^ "1981 Indianapolis 500". racing-reference.info. Racing Reference. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
- ^ "1981 Grand Prix of Monaco". racing-reference.info. Racing Reference. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
- ^ "TT 1981". iomtt.com. Isle of Man TT. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
- ^ "Le Mans Register - 1981". formula2.net. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
- ^ "Nurburgring 24 hours". touringcarracing.net. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
- ^ "24 h Spa-Francorchamps". touringcarracing.net. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
- ^ "Suzuka 8 Hours 1981 results". Moto Racing JAPAN. Archived from the original on 10 December 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
- ^ "1981 Bathurst 1000". Unique Cars & Parts. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- ^ "1981 Macau Grand Prix". motorsportmagazine.com. Motor Sport Magazine. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- ^ "Zsolt Baumgartner". en.espn.co.uk. ESPN. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
- ^ "Timo Bernhard". motorsportmagazine.com. Motor Sport Magazine. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
- ^ "Will Power". espn.com. ESPN. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
- ^ "Fernando Alonso — Biography". Grand Prix History. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
- ^ "Nicky Hayden". motorsportmagazine.com. Motor Sport Magazine. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
- ^ "Heikki Kovalainen". en.espn.co.uk. ESPN. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
- ^ "Mike Rockenfeller". motorsportmagazine.com. Motor Sport Magazine. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
- ^ "André Lotterer". en.espn.co.uk. ESPN. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
- ^ "Mauri Rose". motorsportmagazine.com. Motor Sport Magazine. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
- ^ "Sammy Davis". f1grandprixdriversclub.com. F1 Grand Prix Drivers Club. Archived from the original on 16 April 2018. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
- ^ "Cuth Harrison". en.espn.co.uk. ESPN. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
- ^ "Mike Hailwood". motorsportmagazine.com. Motor Sport Magazine. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
- ^ "Philippe Entancelin". ESPN. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
External links
editWikimedia Commons has media related to 1981 in motorsports.