The 1981 World Rally Championship for Drivers was won by Ari Vatanen driving a Rothmans Rally Team Ford Escort RS1800, the only time a privateer team has won the Drivers' Championship until 2017. The Makes' Championship was won by Talbot with their Sunbeam Lotus. It also saw the beginning of a new era in the sport with the arrival of the Audi Quattro, the first four-wheel drive rally car. Initially regarded as too heavy and complex for rally stages, it proved its worth with three wins in its debut season, including a maiden victory for Michèle Mouton at the Rallye Sanremo, the only woman to win a WRC event.
{{-}} 1981 World Rally Championship for DriversRank | Driver | Event | Total points |
MCO MON | SWE SWE | PRT POR | KEN KEN | FRA FRA | GRC GRC | ARG ARG | BRA BRA | FIN FIN | ITA ITA | Ivory Coast CIV | GBR GBR |
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1 | {{flagicon|FIN}} Ari Vatanen | 0 | 15 | 0 | - | - | 20 | 0 | 20 | 20 | 4 | 2 | 15 | 96 |
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2 | {{flagicon|FRA}} Guy Fréquelin | 15 | - | 6 | 0 | 15 | 10 | 20 | 15 | - | 0 | 8 | 0 | 89 |
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3 | {{flagicon|FIN}} Hannu Mikkola | 0 | 20 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | 12 | 10 | - | 20 | 62 |
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4 | {{flagicon|FIN}} Markku Alén | 4 | - | 20 | - | - | 15 | - | - | 15 | 2 | - | 0 | 56 |
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5 | {{flagicon|KEN}} Shekhar Mehta | - | - | - | 20 | - | 8 | 15 | 0 | - | - | 12 | - | 55 |
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6 | {{flagicon|FIN}} Timo Salonen | - | - | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 10 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 40 |
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7 | {{flagicon|FIN}} Henri Toivonen | 8 | - | 15 | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 15 | - | 0 | 38 |
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8 | {{flagicon|FRA}} Michèle Mouton | 0 | - | 10 | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 20 | - | 0 | 30 |
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9 | {{flagicon|FIN}} Pentti Airikkala | - | 12 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8 | - | - | 10 | 30 |
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10 | {{flagicon|SWE}} Per Eklund | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 6 | 0 | - | - | 0 | - | 15 | 6 | 29 |
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11 | {{flagicon|FRA}} Jean Ragnotti | 20 | - | - | - | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8 | 28 |
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12 | {{flagicon|FRA}} Bernard Darniche | 6 | - | - | - | 20 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 26 |
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13 | {{flagicon|SWE}} Stig Blomqvist | - | 8 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | 12 | 23 |
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14 | {{flagicon|ARG}} Jorge Recalde | - | - | - | - | - | - | 12 | 10 | - | - | - | - | 22 |
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15 | {{flagicon|SWE}} Anders Kulläng | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | - | - | 0 | - | - | 2 | 22 |
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16 | {{flagicon|FRG}} Jochi Kleint | 12 | - | - | 8 | - | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 20 |
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{{flagicon|GBR}} Tony Pond | - | - | 8 | - | 12 | - | - | - | - | 0 | - | 0 | 20 |
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18 | {{flagicon|SWE}} Björn Waldegård | 3 | - | 12 | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | 2 | - | 0 | 0 | 17 |
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19 | {{flagicon|FIN}} Rauno Aaltonen | 0 | - | - | 15 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 15 |
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20 | {{flagicon|KEN}} Mike Kirkland | - | - | - | 12 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 12 |
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{{flagicon|ITA}} Attilio Bettega | 0 | - | 0 | - | - | 12 | - | - | - | 0 | - | - | 12 |
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{{flagicon|URY}} Domingo De Vitta | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | 12 | - | - | - | - | 12 |
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{{flagicon|ITA}} Antonio Fassina | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 12 | - | - | 12 |
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24 | {{flagicon|SWE}} Björn Johansson | - | 6 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6 | - | - | 0 | 12 |
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25 | {{flagicon|GBR}} Terry Kaby | - | - | - | - | 8 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | 11 |
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26 | {{flagicon|FRA}} Jean-Pierre Ballet | 0 | - | - | - | 10 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 10 |
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{{flagicon|ARG}} Ernesto Soto | - | - | - | - | - | - | 10 | - | - | - | - | - | 10 |
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{{flagicon|FRA}} Michel Mitri | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 10 | - | 10 |
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29 | {{flagicon|ARG}} Ricardo Albertengo | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8 | - | - | - | - | - | 10 |
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{{flagicon|PRT}} Carlos Torres | - | - | 0 | - | - | - | - | 8 | - | - | - | - | 8 |
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{{flagicon|ITA}} Luigi Battistolli | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8 | - | - | 8 |
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32 | {{flagicon|FIN}} Lasse Lampi | - | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4 | - | - | 0 | 8 |
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33 | {{flagicon|FRA}} Jean-Claude Lefèbvre | - | - | - | 6 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6 |
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{{flagicon|GRC}} Iórgos Moschous | - | - | - | - | - | 6 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6 |
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{{flagicon|URY}} Luis Etchegoyen | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6 | - | - | - | - | - | 6 |
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{{flagicon|URY}} Gustavo Trelles | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6 | - | - | - | - | 6 |
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{{flagicon|ITA}} Miki Biasion | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6 | - | - | 6 |
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{{flagicon|FRA}} Alain Ambrosino | - | - | - | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6 | - | 6 |
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39 | {{flagicon|SWE}} Sören Nilsson | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 4 | - | - | - | - | 5 |
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{{flagicon|ARG}} Horacio Maglione | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4 | 5 |
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41 | {{flagicon|ESP}} Rafael 'Cid' | - | - | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4 |
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{{flagicon|JPN}} Yoshio Iwashita | - | - | - | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4 |
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{{flagicon|ITA}} Jean-Michel Tichadou | - | - | - | - | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4 |
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{{flagicon|GRC}} 'Carlo' | - | - | - | - | - | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4 |
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{{flagicon|URY}} Federico West | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | 4 |
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{{flagicon|LBN}} Samir Assef | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4 | - | 4 |
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47 | {{flagicon|SWE}} Ola Strömberg | - | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 |
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{{flagicon|PRT}} Manuel Queirós Pereira | - | - | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 |
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{{flagicon|KEN}} Jayant Shah | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 |
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{{flagicon|FRA}} Gérard Swaton | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 |
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{{flagicon|TCH}} Václav Blahna | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 |
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{{flagicon|ARG}} Luís Romero | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | 3 |
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{{flagicon|URY}} Julio Berges | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | - | - | 3 |
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{{flagicon|ITA}} Dario Cerrato | 0 | - | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | 3 |
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{{flagicon|Cote d'Ivoire}} Jacques Durieu | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | 3 |
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56 | {{flagicon|FRA}} Jacques Alméras | 2 | - | - | - | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
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{{flagicon|PRT}} Joaquim Moutinho | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
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{{flagicon|USA}} Malcolm Smith | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
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{{flagicon|FRA}} Camille Bartoli | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
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{{flagicon|GRC}} Pavlos Moschoutis | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
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{{flagicon|ARG}} Miguel Tubal | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
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{{flagicon|BRA}} Maria Carmo Zacarias | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | 2 |
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63 | {{flagicon|FRA}} Alain Coppier | 1 | - | - | - | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
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{{flagicon|JPN}} Kenjiro Shinozuka | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
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{{flagicon|USA}} Rod Hall | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
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{{flagicon|FRA}} Jean-Felix Farrucci | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
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{{flagicon|FRA}} Claude Laurent | 0 | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 1 |
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{{flagicon|FIN}} Antero Laine | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | - | 0 | 1 |
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{{flagicon|ITA}} Federico Ormezzano | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 |
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{{flagicon|GBR}} Roger Clark | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 |
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1981 World Rally Championship schedule and results
Round | Rally name | Stages | Podium finishers |
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Rank | Driver | Co-driver | Car | Time |
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1 | {{flagicon|MCO}} Rallye Monte Carlo (24–30 January) | 32 stages 757 km Tarmac | 1 | FRA}} Jean Ragnotti | FRA}} Jean-Marc Andrié | Renault 5 Turbo | 9:55:55 |
2 | FRA}} Guy Fréquelin | FRA}} Jean Todt | Talbot Sunbeam Lotus | 9:58:49 |
3 | FRG}} Jochi Kleint | FRG}} Gunter Wanger | Opel Ascona 400 | 10:02:54 |
|
2 | {{flagicon|SWE}} Swedish Rally[1] (13–15 February) | 25 stages 369 km Snow/Ice | 1 | FIN}} Hannu Mikkola | SWE}} Arne Hertz | Audi Quattro | 3:48:07 |
2 | FIN}} Ari Vatanen | GBR}} David Richards | Ford Escort RS1800 | 3:50:00 |
3 | FIN}} Pentti Airikkala | FIN}} Risto Virtanen | Ford Escort RS1800 | 3:51:47 |
|
3 | {{flagicon|PRT}} Rallye de Portugal (4–7 March) | 46 stages 681 km Gravel/Tarmac | 1 | FIN}} Markku Alén | FIN}} Ilkka Kivimäki | Fiat 131 Abarth | 8:27:26 |
2 | FIN}} Henri Toivonen | GBR}} Fred Gallagher | Talbot Sunbeam Lotus | 8:36:36 |
3 | SWE}} Björn Waldegård | SWE}} Hans Thorszelius | Toyota Celica 2000GT | 8:43:47 |
|
4 | {{flagicon|KEN}} Safari Rally (16–20 April) | 77 controls 5209 km Gravel | 1 | KEN}} Shekhar Mehta | KEN}} Mike Doughty | Datsun Violet GT | +3:39 pen |
2 | FIN}} Rauno Aaltonen | KEN}} Lofty Drews | Datsun Violet GT | +3:44 pen |
3 | KEN}} Mike Kirkland | KEN}} Dave Haworth | Datsun 160J | +4:51 pen |
|
5 | {{flagicon|FRA}} Tour de Corse (30 April–2 May) | 24 stages 1144 km Tarmac | 1 | FRA}} Bernard Darniche | FRA}} Alain Mahé | Lancia Stratos HF | 14:26.23 |
2 | FRA}} Guy Fréquelin | FRA}} Jean Todt | Talbot Sunbeam Lotus | 14:42:25 |
3 | GBR}} Tony Pond | GBR}} Ian Grindrod | Datsun Violet GT | 14:45.29 |
|
6 | {{flagicon|GRC}} Acropolis Rally (1–4 June) | 57 stages 960 km Gravel | 1 | FIN}} Ari Vatanen | GBR}} David Richards | Ford Escort RS1800 | 13:17:25 |
2 | FIN}} Markku Alén | FIN}} Ilkka Kivimäki | Fiat 131 Abarth | 13:22:00 |
3 | ITA}} Attilio Bettega | ITA}} Maurizio Perissinot | Fiat 131 Abarth | 13:25:19 |
|
7 | {{flagicon|ARG}} Rally Codasur (18–23 July) | 18 stages 1341 km Gravel | 1 | FRA}} Guy Fréquelin | FRA}} Jean Todt | Talbot Sunbeam Lotus | 14:22:52 |
2 | KEN}} Shekhar Mehta | KEN}} Mike Doughty | Datsun Violet GT | 15:01:04 |
3 | Argentina|alt}} Jorge Recalde | Argentina|alt}} Jorge del Bouno | Datsun 160J | 16:01:19 |
|
8 | {{flagicon|BRA}} Rallye do Brasil (6–8 August) | 20 stages 714 km Gravel | 1 | FIN}} Ari Vatanen | GBR}} David Richards | Ford Escort RS1800 | 9:39:40 |
2 | FRA}} Guy Fréquelin | FRA}} Jean Todt | Talbot Sunbeam Lotus | 9:48:11 |
3 | URY}} Domingo De Vitta | URY}} Daniel Muzio | Ford Escort RS | 10:19:46 |
|
9 | {{flagicon|FIN}} 1000 Lakes Rally (28–30 August) | 46 stages 440 km Gravel | 1 | FIN}} Ari Vatanen | GBR}} David Richards | Ford Escort RS1800 | 4:07:27 |
2 | FIN}} Markku Alén | FIN}} Ilkka Kivimäki | Fiat 131 Abarth | 4:08:26 |
3 | FIN}} Hannu Mikkola | SWE}} Arne Hertz | Audi Quattro | 4:10:19 |
|
10 | {{flagicon|ITA}} Rallye Sanremo (5–10 October) | 59 stages 751 km Gravel/Tarmac | 1 | FRA}} Michèle Mouton | ITA}} Fabrizia Pons | Audi Quattro | 8:05:50 |
2 | FIN}} Henri Toivonen | England}} Fred Gallagher | Talbot Sunbeam Lotus | 8:09:15 |
3 | ITA}} Antonio Fassina | ITA}} Rudy Roberto Dalpozzo | Opel Ascona 400 | 8:12:08 |
|
11 | {{flagicon|Ivory Coast}} Rallye Côte d'Ivoire (26–31 October) | 56 controls 5087 km Gravel | 1 | FIN}} Timo Salonen | FIN}} Seppo Harjanne | Datsun Violet GT | +9:57 pen |
2 | SWE}} Per Eklund | SWE}} Ragnar Spjuth | Toyota Celica 2000GT | +11:09 pen |
3 | KEN}} Shekhar Mehta | KEN}} Mike Doughty | Datsun Violet GT | +11:22 pen |
|
12 | {{flagicon|GBR}} RAC Rally (22–25 November) | 65 stages 722 km Gravel/Tarmac | 1 | FIN}} Hannu Mikkola | SWE}} Arne Hertz | Audi Quattro | 8:30:00 |
2 | FIN}} Ari Vatanen | GBR}} David Richards | Ford Escort RS1800 | 8:41:05 |
3 | SWE}} Stig Blomqvist | SWE}} Björn Cederberg | Talbot Sunbeam Lotus | 8:43:36 |
1. ^Event not included in the Manufacturers' Championship