1981 BRDC International Trophy

The 33rd BRDC International Trophy was a Formula Two motor race held at Silverstone on 29 March 1981. It was the opening race of the 1981 European Formula Two Championship.[1]

1981 BRDC International Trophy Grand Prix
Race details
Date 29 March 1981
Official name 33rd BRDC International Trophy
Location Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire, Great Britain
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 4.719 km (2.932 miles)
Distance 47 laps, 221.793 km (137.804 miles)
Weather Rain[1]
Pole position
Driver
Ralt-Honda
Time 1:18.59
Fastest lap
Driver United Kingdom Geoff Lees Ralt-Honda
Time 1:22.82
Podium
First
Ralt-Honda
Second
March-BMW
Third
March-BMW

The 47-lap race was won by New Zealander Mike Thackwell, driving a works Ralt-Honda. Italian Riccardo Paletti finished second in a March-BMW entered by Onyx Race Engineering, with another Italian, Corrado Fabi, third in a works March-BMW.

Report

Entry

A total of 46 F2 cars were entered for the event, however just 31 took part in qualifying.[1]

Qualifying

Mike Thackwell took pole position for Ralt Racing Ltd, in their Ralt-Honda RH6/81, averaging a speed of 133.59 mph.[1]

Race

The race was held over 47 laps on a wet Silverstone Grand Prix circuit. Mike Thackwell took the winner spoils for works Ralt team, driving their Ralt-Honda RH6/81. Thackwell won in a time of 1hr 11:44.67mins., averaging a speed of 115.23 mph. Over 30 seconds behind was the second place car, driven by Riccardo Paletti, in the March Onyx Racing Team’s March-BMW 812. The podium was completed by another Italian, Corrado Fabi, in his Roloil Marlboro Racing/March Racing Ltd-entered March-BMW 812, albeit one lap adrift.[2]

Race classification
Pos. No. Driver Entrant Car - Engine Laps Time/Retired
1st 15 New Zealand Mike Thackwell Ralt Racing Ltd Ralt-Honda RH6/81 47 1:11:44.67
2nd 7 Italy Riccardo Paletti March Onyx Racing Team March-BMW 812 47 + 36.19
3rd 3 Italy Corrado Fabi Roloil Marlboro Racing/March Racing Ltd March-BMW 812 46 + 1 lap
4th 77 United Kingdom Jim Crawford Plygrange Racing Ltd Toleman-Hart TG280 46 + 1 lap
5th 12 Italy Carlo Rossi Sanremo Racing Srl Toleman-Hart TG280 46 + 1 lap
6th 48 United Kingdom Brian Robinson Grange Performance Cars Chevron-Hart B42 46 + 1 lap
7th 14 United Kingdom Geoff Lees Ralt Racing Ltd Ralt-Honda RH6/81 45 + 2 laps
8th 36 United Kingdom Ray Mallock Cliff Smith Racing Ralt-Hart RT4 45 + 2 laps
9th 1 Sweden Stefan Johansson Docking Spitzley Team Toleman Lola-Hart T850 45 + 2 laps
10th 5 West Germany Christian Danner March Racing Ltd March-BMW 812 45 + 2 laps
11th 10 Italy Michele Alboreto Minardi Team Minardi Fly-BMW 281 45 + 2 laps
12th 24 Switzerland Jürg Lienhard Lista Racing Team March-BMW 802 45 + 2 laps
13th 27 Austria Sewi Hopfer Sewi Hopfer Racing Toleman-Hart TG280 44 + 3 laps
14th 9 Venezuela Johnny Cecotto Minardi Team Minardi Fly-BMW 281 44 + 3 laps
15th 18 Switzerland Fredy Schnarwiler Formel Rennsport Club Lola-BMW T850 43 + 4 laps
16th 29 United Kingdom Warren Booth Colin Bennett Racing Chevron-Hart B48 43 + 4 laps
17th 28 Italy Guido Daccò DAC Sport Racing Team Minardi-BMW GM75 42 + 5 laps
18th 16 Sweden Eje Elgh Maurer Motorsport Maurer-BMW MM81 42 + 5 laps
19th 2 United Kingdom Kenny Acheson Docking Spitzley Team Toleman Lola-Hart T850 41 + 6 laps
20th 20 Italy 'Gianfranco' Astra Team Merzario Srl March-BMW 812 39 + 8 laps
DNF 4 Belgium Thierry Boutsen Marlboro Racing for Zolder/March Racing Ltd March-BMW 812 36 Spin/gearbox
DNF 11 Italy Guido Pardini Sanremo Racing Srl Lola-BMW T850 24 Crown wheel & pinion
DNF 31 United Kingdom Kim Mather Kim Mather March-Hart 792 24 Wheel bearing
DNF 17 Colombia Roberto Guerrero Maurer Motorsport Maurer-BMW MM81 21 Electrical
DNF 8 France Richard Dallest Team AGS Motul GPA AGS-BMW JH17 8 Accident
DNF 40 United Kingdom Paul Smith BMTR March-Hart 782 8 Engine
DNS 19 Italy Piero Necchi Astra Team Merzario Srl March-BMW 812
DNS 35 West Germany Jochen Dauer GRS Motorsport GRS-BMW TC 001
DNQ 21 Italy Arturo Merzario Astra Team Merzario Srl Merzario-BMW M1
DNQ 33 United Kingdom Roy Baker Roy Baker Chevron-Hart B48
DNQ 46 United Kingdom Bob Howlings Bob Howlings Chevron-Hart B42

References
  1. "XXXIII B.R.D.C. International Trophy 1981". F2 Register. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
  2. "F2 Register - Index".
  3. Tristan Wood, "Drive It! The Complete Book of Formula 2 Motor Racing" (Foulis/Haynes, ASIN B009UWU1BW, 1984)
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