San Marino Grand Prix 1981 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Nelson Piquet claimed his second consecutive victory at the San Marino Grand Prix, establishing himself as the early championship leader with brilliant drives at Imola. The Brazilian mastered the challenging Italian circuit to lead home Riccardo Patrese's Arrows and Carlos Reutemann's Williams, demonstrating that consistency would be key to the 1981 championship battle. Piquet's back-to-back wins positioned Brabham as genuine title contenders despite Williams' supposedly superior package.

Patrese's second place for Arrows was an excellent result for the British team, showing they could compete for podiums on technical circuits where driver skill mattered as much as raw performance. Reutemann's third place meant he was losing ground to Piquet in the championship, while teammate Jones endured another frustrating race. The internal Williams drama continued to benefit Piquet, who was quietly accumulating points while his rivals fought among themselves. The San Marino Grand Prix confirmed that the 1981 championship would be a three-way battle, though Williams' self-destructive tendency to sabotage their own championship chances through internal politics was becoming increasingly evident.