1981 Italian Grand Prix

Championship standings

Piquet and Reutemann arrive at Monza equal on points, with Piquet leading on the basis of more wins. Prost, Jones, and Laffite retain outside chances of the title.

Previous race

At Zandvoort, Prost won from pole. Piquet finished second — a crucial result — while Jones came third. Reutemann failed to finish after colliding with Laffite on lap 18, a result that allowed Piquet to take the championship lead.

Between-race developments

Alan Jones has arrived in Italy after being physically assaulted by five men in London. Siegfried Stohr crashes heavily during qualifying at Monza; already haunted by the near-fatal incident with mechanic Dave Luckett in Belgium, he decides to stop racing and establish a motor racing academy.

Circuit notes

Formula One returns to Monza after the 1980 Italian Grand Prix was held at Imola. The circuit has undergone major upgrades, including a new pit building.

Entrants

Toleman qualify for a World Championship race for the first time this season: Brian Henton takes 23rd on the grid after a season of failed attempts to qualify. Teammate Derek Warwick again misses the cut.

Championship permutations

Williams need just two more points to secure their second consecutive Constructors’ Championship.