Alain Prost's victory shifted the 1981 Drivers' Championship lead to Nelson Piquet after Carlos Reutemann's retirement from a collision.
Key Facts
- Race winner
- Alain Prost (Renault)
- Starting position
- Pole position
- Race distance
- 72 laps
- Championship round
- 12th of the 1981 season
- 2nd place
- Nelson Piquet (Brabham-Ford)
- 3rd place
- Alan Jones (Williams-Ford)
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The 1981 Formula One World Championship was tightly contested, with Nelson Piquet and Carlos Reutemann closely matched on points heading into the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort on 30 August 1981.
Alain Prost led from pole position to win the 72-lap race in a Renault, followed by Piquet in a Brabham-Ford and Alan Jones in a Williams-Ford. Reutemann retired after colliding with Jacques Laffite's Ligier-Matra, failing to score points.
Reutemann's retirement allowed Piquet to move into the lead of the Drivers' Championship on equal points but with more wins, significantly altering the title fight with several races remaining in the season.