| 1981 British Grand Prix | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 9 of 15 in the 1981 Formula One World Championship | |||
 | |||
| Race details | |||
| Date | 18 July 1981 | ||
| Official name | XXXIV Marlboro British Grand Prix | ||
| Location | Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire, Great Britain | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 4.718[1] km (2.932 miles) | ||
| Distance | 68 laps, 320.824[1] km (199.351 miles) | ||
| Weather | Dry | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Renault | ||
| Time | 1:11.000 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver |
 René Arnoux | Renault | |
| Time | 1:15.067 on lap 50 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | McLaren-Ford | ||
| Second | Williams-Ford | ||
| Third | Ligier-Matra | ||
|
Lap leaders | |||
The 1981 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Silverstone on 18 July 1981. It was the ninth race of the 1981 Formula One World Championship. John Watson won his first race for five years, and McLaren's first since James Hunt's victory at the 1977 Japanese Grand Prix. The race also marked the first victory for a carbon fibre composite monocoque F1 car, the McLaren MP4/1.