Canadian Grand Prix 1981 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Jacques Laffite claimed his second victory of 1981 at the Canadian Grand Prix, delivering a strong performance for Ligier while the championship contenders struggled. The Frenchman drove excellently in Montreal to hold off John Watson's McLaren and Gilles Villeneuve's Ferrari, with the home crowd cheering wildly for the Canadian's podium finish. Laffite's victory capped a remarkably consistent season where Ligier had proven themselves the best of the rest behind the championship-contending teams.

Watson's second place demonstrated McLaren's gradual improvement as they prepared for their turbocharged future, while Villeneuve's third place delighted his passionate home fans. The race was notable for the championship contenders' struggles, with both Nelson Piquet and Carlos Reutemann enduring difficult afternoons. Piquet's fifth-place finish maintained his slender one-point championship lead over Reutemann heading into the bizarre season finale at Las Vegas. The Canadian Grand Prix set up one of Formula 1's most unusual title deciders, with the championship to be settled on a temporary circuit carved from a hotel parking lot in Nevada.