1981 BRDC International Trophy

1981 BRDC International Trophy Grand Prix
Race details
Date	29 March 1981
Official name	33rd BRDC International Trophy
Location	Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire, Great Britain
Course	Permanent racing facility
Course length	4.719 km (2.932 miles)
Distance	47 laps, 221.793 km (137.804 miles)
Weather	Rain
Pole position
Driver	Mike Thackwell	Ralt-Honda
Time	1:18.59
Fastest lap
Driver	Geoff Lees	Ralt-Honda
Time	1:22.82
Podium
First	Mike Thackwell	Ralt-Honda
Second	Riccardo Paletti	March-BMW
Third	Corrado Fabi	March-BMW

The 33rd BRDC International Trophy was a Formula Two motor race held at Silverstone on 29 March 1981. It was the opening race of the 1981 European Formula Two Championship.

The 47-lap race was won by New Zealander Mike Thackwell, driving a works Ralt-Honda. Italian Riccardo Paletti finished second in a March-BMW entered by Onyx Race Engineering, with another Italian, Corrado Fabi, third in a works March-BMW.

Report

Entry

A total of 46 F2 cars were entered for the event, however just 31 took part in qualifying.

Qualifying

Mike Thackwell took pole position for Ralt Racing Ltd, in their Ralt-Honda RH6/81, averaging a speed of 133.59 mph.

Race

The race was held over 47 laps on a wet Silverstone Grand Prix circuit. Mike Thackwell took the winner spoils for works Ralt team, driving their Ralt-Honda RH6/81. Thackwell won in a time of 1hr 11:44.67mins., averaging a speed of 115.23 mph. Over 30 seconds behind was the second place car, driven by Riccardo Paletti, in the March Onyx Racing Team’s March-BMW 812. The podium was completed by another Italian, Corrado Fabi, in his Roloil Marlboro Racing/March Racing Ltd-entered March-BMW 812, albeit one lap adrift.

Race classification

Pos.	No.	Driver	Entrant	Car - Engine	Laps	Time/Retired
1st	15	Mike Thackwell	Ralt Racing Ltd	Ralt-Honda RH6/81	47	1:11:44.67
2nd	7	Riccardo Paletti	March Onyx Racing Team	March-BMW 812	47	+ 36.19
3rd	3	Corrado Fabi	Roloil Marlboro Racing/March Racing Ltd	March-BMW 812	46	+ 1 lap
4th	77	Jim Crawford	Plygrange Racing Ltd	Toleman-Hart TG280	46	+ 1 lap
5th	12	Carlo Rossi	Sanremo Racing Srl	Toleman-Hart TG280	46	+ 1 lap
6th	48	Brian Robinson	Grange Performance Cars	Chevron-Hart B42	46	+ 1 lap
7th	14	Geoff Lees	Ralt Racing Ltd	Ralt-Honda RH6/81	45	+ 2 laps
8th	36	Ray Mallock	Cliff Smith Racing	Ralt-Hart RT4	45	+ 2 laps
9th	1	Stefan Johansson	Docking Spitzley Team Toleman	Lola-Hart T850	45	+ 2 laps
10th	5	Christian Danner	March Racing Ltd	March-BMW 812	45	+ 2 laps
11th	10	Michele Alboreto	Minardi Team	Minardi Fly-BMW 281	45	+ 2 laps
12th	24	Jürg Lienhard	Lista Racing Team	March-BMW 802	45	+ 2 laps
13th	27	Sewi Hopfer	Sewi Hopfer Racing	Toleman-Hart TG280	44	+ 3 laps
14th	9	Johnny Cecotto	Minardi Team	Minardi Fly-BMW 281	44	+ 3 laps
15th	18	Fredy Schnarwiler	Formel Rennsport Club	Lola-BMW T850	43	+ 4 laps
16th	29	Warren Booth	Colin Bennett Racing	Chevron-Hart B48	43	+ 4 laps
17th	28	Guido Daccò	DAC Sport Racing Team	Minardi-BMW GM75	42	+ 5 laps
18th	16	Eje Elgh	Maurer Motorsport	Maurer-BMW MM81	42	+ 5 laps
19th	2	Kenny Acheson	Docking Spitzley Team Toleman	Lola-Hart T850	41	+ 6 laps
20th	20	'Gianfranco'	Astra Team Merzario Srl	March-BMW 812	39	+ 8 laps
DNF	4	Thierry Boutsen	Marlboro Racing for Zolder/March Racing Ltd	March-BMW 812	36	Spin/gearbox
DNF	11	Guido Pardini	Sanremo Racing Srl	Lola-BMW T850	24	Crown wheel & pinion
DNF	31	Kim Mather	Kim Mather	March-Hart 792	24	Wheel bearing
DNF	17	Roberto Guerrero	Maurer Motorsport	Maurer-BMW MM81	21	Electrical
DNF	8	Richard Dallest	Team AGS Motul GPA	AGS-BMW JH17	8	Accident
DNF	40	Paul Smith	BMTR	March-Hart 782	8	Engine
DNS	19	Piero Necchi	Astra Team Merzario Srl	March-BMW 812
DNS	35	Jochen Dauer	GRS Motorsport	GRS-BMW TC 001
DNQ	21	Arturo Merzario	Astra Team Merzario Srl	Merzario-BMW M1
DNQ	33	Roy Baker	Roy Baker	Chevron-Hart B48
DNQ	46	Bob Howlings	Bob Howlings	Chevron-Hart B42

• Fastest lap: Geoff Lees, 1:22.82 secs (125.94 mph)