1981 Australian Grand Prix

March 2021 December 2011 CUST Formula Pacific race Australian Australia File:Calder Park Map 002.png XLVI National Panasonic Australian Grand Prix Calder Park Raceway, Melbourne, Victoria 8 November 1981 Permanent racing facility 1.000 1.609 100 100 160.9 Sunny Roberto Moreno BRA Ralt-Ford 0'39.2 Roberto Moreno Ralt-Ford 0'39.8 BRA Roberto Moreno BRA Ralt-Ford Nelson Piquet BRA Ralt-Ford Geoff Brabham AUS Ralt-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:Wilson Stewart Graham Howard The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix 1986 R & T Publishing Gordon, NSW 0-9588464-0-5 448–454 1981 Qualifying Pos No Driver Car Qual Gap 1 19 BRA Roberto Moreno Ralt RT4 Ford 0:39.2 — 2 27 AUS Alan Jones Ralt RT4 Ford 0:39.2 +0.0 3 9 BRA Nelson Piquet Ralt RT4 Ford 0:39.3 +0.1 4 4 AUS John Bowe Ralt RT4 Ford 0:39.6 +0.4 5 62 AUS Bruce Allison Ralt RT4 Ford 0:39.8 +0.6 6 26 FRA Jacques Laffite Ralt RT4 Ford 0:39.8 +0.6 7 12 AUS Geoff Brabham Ralt RT4 Ford 0:39.9 +0.7 8 71 AUS John Smith Ralt RT4 Ford 0:39.9 +0.7 9 3 AUS Larry Perkins Ralt RT4 Ford 0:40.0 +0.8 10 6 GBR Ray Mallock Ralt RT4 Ford 0:40.2 +1.0 11 5 AUS Andrew Miedecke Ralt RT4 Ford 0:40.2 +1.0 12 84 AUS Alfredo Costanzo Tiga FA81 Ford 0:40.3 +1.1 13 2 AUS Charlie O'Brien Ralt RT4 Ford 0:40.4 +1.2 14 18 NZL David Oxton Ralt RT4 Ford 0:40.6 +1.4 15 16 AUS Lucio Cesario Ralt RT3 Volkswagen Golf 0:40.7 +1.5 16 83 AUS Peter Larner Kaditcha Ford 0:40.7 +1.5 17 7 AUS Peter Williamson Toleman TA860 Toyota 0:40.9 +1.7 18 77 AUS Mike Quinn Galloway HG1 Ford 0:41.4 +2.2 19 11 AUS Ron Barnacle Ralt RT1 Ford 0:41.8 +2.6 20 48 AUS Ray Hangar March 77B Ford 0:42.5 +3.3 21 36 AUS Bob Creasy Birrana 273 Ford 0:43.1 +3.9 Race thumb|Roberto Moreno won the race driving a Ralt RT4 similar to that pictured above Pos No. Driver Car EntrantProgram, National Panasonic Australian Grand Prix, Calder Raceway, 7–8th November 1981 Laps Time 1 19 BRA Roberto Moreno Ralt RT4 Ford Graham Watson Motor Racing Pty Ltd 100 1h 07m 39.2s 2 9 BRA Nelson Piquet Ralt RT4 Ford Graham Watson Motor Racing Pty Ltd 99 3 12 AUS Geoff Brabham Ralt RT4 Ford G Brabham 99 4 3 AUS Larry Perkins Ralt RT4 Ford L Perkins 99 5 5 AUS Andrew Miedecke Ralt RT4 Ford AW Miedecke 99 6 18 NZL David Oxton Ralt RT4 Ford Oxton Motors 98 7 6 GBR Ray Mallock Ralt RT4 Ford Cliff Smith Racing 98 8 62 AUS Bruce Allison Ralt RT4 Ford B Allison 98 9 2 AUS Charlie O'Brien Ralt RT4 Ford Citizen Watches Australia 98 10 84 AUS Alfredo Costanzo Tiga FA81 Ford Porsche Cars Australia 97 11 83 AUS Peter Larner Kaditcha Ford Paul England 97 12 71 AUS John Smith Ralt RT4 Ford OSCL 96 13 11 AUS Ron Barnacle Ralt RT1 Ford Nissalco Garage Equipment 90 14 48 AUS Ray Hangar March 77B Ford R Hanger 87 Ret 27 AUS Alan Jones Ralt RT4 Ford Theodore Racing 93 transmission Ret 26 FRA Jacques Laffite Ralt RT4 Ford J Laffite 43 oil line Ret 7 AUS Peter Williamson Toleman TA860 Toyota Toyota Dealer Team 40 accident Ret 4 AUS John Bowe Ralt RT4 Ford Chris Leach Racing 15 water pump belt Ret 16 AUS Lucio Cesario Ralt RT3 Volkswagen Golf Formula One Automotive 10 broken valve spring Ret 36 AUS Bob Creasy Birrana 273 Ford R Creasy 6 spin DNS 77 AUS Mike Quinn Galloway HG1 Ford Peter Williamson Pty Ltd gearbox 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 External links autopics.com.au Australian Grand Prix 1980 Australian Grand Prix 1981 1982 Australian Grand Prix Grand Prix Category:Australian Grand Prix Australian Grand Prix