1981 Formula 1 driver line-up shaping up
The 1981 silly season was undoubtly one of the silliest ever. Firtsly, in the teams department there will be 17 teams like last season, three of them being new or returning teams. European F2 championship powerhouse Toleman steps up to F1 while Theodore and March teams make a welcome return. They will replace Ensign and ATS teams that folded quietly right at the end of last season. Third team not to take part the coming season is Brabham which went bankrupt after two largely disappointing seasons. Drivers Riccardo Patrese and Jacky Ickx have been released from their contracts.
Brabham going bankrupt wasn't the main story of off-season though. Continue reading to find out what else happened...
If you wish to just see the results of the bidding you can go straight to the end of this post.
Let's start with the tyre supplier deals.
Despite Goodyear winning both titles with Ferrari in 1980, Michelin was regarded the better of the two available manufacturers. Unhappy at losing the titles the French manufacturer made the decision to advance their customer program, increasing the number of teams they could supply.
Goodyear remained as the go-to choice for most teams while newcomers Pirelli and Avon stuggled to get any deals done.
Tyre contracts:
Michelin teams
Team name - contract length (seasons)
Arrows - 2
McLaren – 2
Ligier – 2
Williams - 2
Tyrrell – 1
Rebaque - 1
Goodyear teams
Team name - contract length (seasons)
Lotus – 2
Theodore - 2
Ferrari - 1
Fittipaldi - 1
Shadow - 1
Wolf – 1
Toleman - 1
Alfa Romeo - 1
March – 1
Teams without a supplier
Renault
Osella
Moving on to the engine supplier deals.
Engine market saw very little changes this year. Ford informed they could supply almost the whole grid while other anufacturers Ferrari, Renault, Alfa and Matra had none or very limited customer programs. Newcomer Hart entered the sport after a dominating display in European F2 last season. The small British manufacturer is developing turbocharged engines like Renault.
Ford was the popular choice as expected. Ligier ended their affiliation with Matra after two difficult season. March Engineering in now the new factory-affiliate for the French marque. Despite Toleman and Hart sharing a succesful history together, Brian Hart decided to end the relationship and join a more experienced team, Team Rebaque, instead.
Engine contracts:
Ford teams
Team name - contract length (seasons)
Arrows – 2
Ligier – 2
Tyrrell - 1
McLaren - 1
Fittipaldi - 1
Lotus - 1
Shadow - 1
Williams - 1
Theodore - 1
Alfa teams
Team name - contract length (seasons)
Wolf - 1
Alfa Romeo
Hart teams
Team name - contract length (seasons)
Rebaque - 1
Matra teams
Team name - contract length (seasons)
March – 2
Teams without a supplier
Toleman
Osella
Ferrari and Renault use in-house engines.
Then the moment we've all been waiting for - bring in the drivers!
First of all, what do Alan Jones, Niki Lauda and Gilles Villeneuve have in common? They're all unemployed in 1981. For the second time in three years the reigning World Champion is forced to take a sabbatical! Lauda and Villeneuve are easier to understand – the two only scored a combined total of 11 points last season which in no means justified their high salary demands but nevertheless it's a huge shock that the drivers of this caliber were dismissed in favour of young and unproven drivers.
There were, of course, a number of very talented drivers keen to enter the sport this season. European F2 championship winning duo Brian Henton and Derek Warwick as well as European F3 champion Michele Alboreto and former British F3 champion Chico Serra were high on the list of many teams. Henton however got outrageously snubbed by every team and is still yet to find a drive.
Below you can see how the biddng process unfolded.
Ferrari
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#0 Carlos Reutemann - 1
#2 Nelson Piquet - 2
Ferrari shocks everyone by deciding not to extend the contract of World Champion Alan Jones. Instead the Maranello squad is able to lure in up-and-coming Brazilian Nelson Piquet who took the first and only win of his career on Ferrari's home ground in Imola last season. There are rumours that Jones demanded an absolute #1 status but Ferrari were having none of it and showed the door for the Australian ace. 1979 champion Reutemann enters the last year of his contract.
Tyrrell
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#3 Jody Scheckter - 1
#4 Didier Pironi - 1
Tyrrell line-up remains unchanged for a third year. Title favourites last season, the team only managed to take two victories (Scheckter in Brands Hatch, Pironi in Montréal) and finished third in the contructors championship. Pironi has been developing into a very fast driver while Scheckter has gained the most media attention. Second half of last season showed however that Pironi could well be the stronger of the two already. Overall very competitive package that is sure to be up there come the end of the season.
McLaren
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#7 Keke Rosberg - 3
#8 Nigel Mansell - 2
Rosberg's contract ended after 1980 but McLaren was able to re-sign the Finn for a three year contract. With two wins in the last two season Rosberg will most likely be the stronger of moustache-squad, although Nigel Mansell showed extremely promising speed on his rookie season last year. They finished fifth in the contructors last year and are certainly looking to improve this season, a move to Michelin camp underlining this ambition.
Fittipaldi
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#9 Patrick Tambay - 3
#10 Patrick Depailler - 1
Two-time World champion Niki Lauda's expensive contract ran out and the Austrian went on to found an airline. To replace Lauda, Fittipaldi signed another Patrick from France, Patrick Tambay who drove for Ligier thw last two seasons. Constantly demolishing his teammate during those years, Tambay will surely hope that a move to Fittipaldi is a step forwards.
Lotus
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#11 Jean-Pierre Jarier - 3
#12 Eddie Cheever - 2
Lotus had a change in administration last year and this was the first pre-season under the current management. This spelled little changes however as Eddie Cheever was offered a two-year extension to his contract. Rather surprisingly, Derek Daly's (who had been the stronger driver) contract wasn't extended. Instead, Lotus and Team Rebaque swapped Daly and Jarier with the Frenchman enjoying a second opportunity in the British team after a brief stint in 1978.
Renault
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#15 ??? - ?
#16 René Arnoux - 1
French manufacturer has been very quiet of their plans during off-season and many have questioned if the French outfit is retiring from the sport. Last season brought only two points (Villeneuve in Argentina) and the turbocharged cars didn't look particularly competitive. Villeneuve's contract ran out and the hadn't even signed anyone to replace him at the moment. The team is also missing a tyre supplier. Lots of questions looming – how long will the company board have patience?
Shadow
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#17 Alain Prost - 1
#18 Ricardo Zunino - 1
Year ago Shadow signed Alain Prost with much hype as their lead driver. Prost showed lots of speed but also some inconsistency throughout the season but finished it 10th in the drivers championship after all. Experienced German Jochen Mass achieved a third place finish in the season ending US Grand Prix but wasn't offered an extension. He will be replaced by Ricardo Zunino who had largely disappointing season with Wolf in 1980.
Wolf
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#19 Jacques Villeneuve - 1
#20 Mike Thackwell - 1
James Hunt has retired and it's some sort of a new start for Wolf. An expensive engine contract with Alfa was perhaps the main reason the team had to rely on two rookie pay-drivers for this season. Gilles' brother Jacques Villeneuve was chosen as the lead driver while promising teenager from New Zealand, Mike Thackwell, will try and challenge the Canadian. Thanks to Brabham going bankrupt the team won't after all have to pre-quailfy in the first half of the season.
Toleman
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#21 Hans Binder - 1
#22 Derek Warwick - 1
Toleman dominated the 1980 European Formula 2 season taking six wins in 12 races and drivers Brian Henton and Derek Warwick taking 1-2 in the championship. Despite Henton winning the title, he was surprisingly not offered a drive in Formula 1. Rather, Hans Binder was chosen as Warwick teammate. Binder was of course driving for Arrows last season but after only scoring four points, was shown the door. The team is still missing a engine contract so it has by no means been an easy start for them.
Alfa Romeo
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#23 Bruno Giacomelli - 1
#24 Siegfried Stohr - 1
Veteran Clay Regazzoni retired after 1980 which meant Alfa Romeo had to search for a replacement. Italian Siegfried Stohr, who finished fourth in 1980 European F2 championship despite missing the first two runs, was the one they chose as Giacomelli's teammate. Only thing missing now from an all-Italian lineup is Pirelli tyres – at the moment the team is using Goodyear rubber.
Ligier
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#25 Andrea de Cesaris - 1
#26 Kevin Cogan - 1
Last season's trip to pre-qualifying seems like a distant memory now. Patrick Tambay's 12 points scored in the second half of the season helped the team reach eight in constructors standings but it wasn't enough for Tambay who left for Fittipaldi. Takahara, Michelin and Matra weren't offered extensions either so Ligier is sporting a very different line-up this year. Youngster Andrea de Cesaris comes aboard from ATS and will be accompanied by young American Kevin Cogan who hasn't had any notable success in lower formulae. Ford will be their engine and Michelin their tyre supplier this season.
Williams
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#27 Elio de Angelis - 1
#28 Michele Alboreto - 3
Nelson Piquet left the team for Ferrari leaving Elio de Angelis undoubtly as the team's lead driver. The young Italian has improved vastly during his years in the British team and will have a fmiliar teammate this season as the reigning European F3 champion, compatriot Michele Alboreto joins him. Althoug de Angelis must regarded as one of the biggest favourites this season, Williams are clearly concentrating in long-time success with their young and still rather inexperienced driver line-up.
Arrows
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#29 Jacques Laffite - 2
#30 Ingo Hoffmann - 1
Jacques Laffite and Arrows surprised everyone last year with their stellar speed. A lower midfield team in 1979, the team made a huge leap forwards that allowed Laffite win four races and just barely miss out the title, finishing third in the championship. Ingo Hoffmann, who participated in six race weekends for Fittipaldi in 1976-77, makes a return to F1 as the driver of car #30. The Brazilian isn't a bad driver by any means but it's fair to say sponsorship money was the biggest factor in this deal. Ford and Michelin return, making Arrows one of the teams to watch this season.
Rebaque
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#31 Derek Daly - 2
#32 Stefan Johansson - 1
Team owner Héctor Rebaque steps down from a driver role to play a larger part in team management. It's not the only change either as the team has an all-new look this season. Team was able to sign Michelin tyres and Hart's turboengines and on top of that a very capable #1 driver in Derek Daly. Stefan Johansson made one attempt last season Wolf and makes a return this season, continuing Sweden's rich history in F1.
Theodore
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#33 ??? - ?
#34 Rupert Keegan - 2
Hong Kong based Theodore Racing makes a return to F1 after a two year hiatus. Last time around in 1978 it was a one car team and at the moment nothing seems to have changed. So far the team has managed to secure only one driver, Brit Rupert Keegan who is best remembered of his drive to third in 1979 Argentine GP. Ford engines and Goodyear tyres is a proven solid combination for a new team but there is still a lot to do if they are to be ready for the first race.
Osella
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#35 Chico Serra - 1
#36 ??? - ?
Osella joined F1 last season but had to face quickly how cruel world it is. With financial struggles plagueing the Italian team, they failed to qualify for a race even once. Zorzi and Gabbiani are gone and so far the team has only signed one contract – with the 1979 British F3 champion Chico Serra. The Brazilian has proven his talent but there is not much to do when the team doesn't even have engines or tyres!
March
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#35 Bobby Rahal - 1
#36 ??? - ?
March is another returning team this season but of course with much richer history than Theodore. The team that achieved two wins and numerous poduim finishes in the 70's now has the backing from Matra factory. Bobby Rahal, who has raced for Shadow and Ensign teams in the past, was chosen as the lead driver. There no indications at the moment of who the second driver might be.
1981 Formula 1 teams:
- - - - - -
I will update the conversations soon. Second round of bidding for those who failed to complete their team will begin after I have released an updated manufacturer/driver list!
Info about winter testing will be posted after all conversations have been updated (likely tomorrow).
The 1981 silly season was undoubtly one of the silliest ever. Firtsly, in the teams department there will be 17 teams like last season, three of them being new or returning teams. European F2 championship powerhouse Toleman steps up to F1 while Theodore and March teams make a welcome return. They will replace Ensign and ATS teams that folded quietly right at the end of last season. Third team not to take part the coming season is Brabham which went bankrupt after two largely disappointing seasons. Drivers Riccardo Patrese and Jacky Ickx have been released from their contracts.
Brabham going bankrupt wasn't the main story of off-season though. Continue reading to find out what else happened...
If you wish to just see the results of the bidding you can go straight to the end of this post.
Let's start with the tyre supplier deals.
Despite Goodyear winning both titles with Ferrari in 1980, Michelin was regarded the better of the two available manufacturers. Unhappy at losing the titles the French manufacturer made the decision to advance their customer program, increasing the number of teams they could supply.
Goodyear remained as the go-to choice for most teams while newcomers Pirelli and Avon stuggled to get any deals done.
Tyre contracts:
Michelin teams
Team name - contract length (seasons)
Arrows - 2
McLaren – 2
Ligier – 2
Williams - 2
Tyrrell – 1
Rebaque - 1
Goodyear teams
Team name - contract length (seasons)
Lotus – 2
Theodore - 2
Ferrari - 1
Fittipaldi - 1
Shadow - 1
Wolf – 1
Toleman - 1
Alfa Romeo - 1
March – 1
Teams without a supplier
Renault
Osella
Moving on to the engine supplier deals.
Engine market saw very little changes this year. Ford informed they could supply almost the whole grid while other anufacturers Ferrari, Renault, Alfa and Matra had none or very limited customer programs. Newcomer Hart entered the sport after a dominating display in European F2 last season. The small British manufacturer is developing turbocharged engines like Renault.
Ford was the popular choice as expected. Ligier ended their affiliation with Matra after two difficult season. March Engineering in now the new factory-affiliate for the French marque. Despite Toleman and Hart sharing a succesful history together, Brian Hart decided to end the relationship and join a more experienced team, Team Rebaque, instead.
Engine contracts:
Ford teams
Team name - contract length (seasons)
Arrows – 2
Ligier – 2
Tyrrell - 1
McLaren - 1
Fittipaldi - 1
Lotus - 1
Shadow - 1
Williams - 1
Theodore - 1
Alfa teams
Team name - contract length (seasons)
Wolf - 1
Alfa Romeo
Hart teams
Team name - contract length (seasons)
Rebaque - 1
Matra teams
Team name - contract length (seasons)
March – 2
Teams without a supplier
Toleman
Osella
Ferrari and Renault use in-house engines.
Then the moment we've all been waiting for - bring in the drivers!
First of all, what do Alan Jones, Niki Lauda and Gilles Villeneuve have in common? They're all unemployed in 1981. For the second time in three years the reigning World Champion is forced to take a sabbatical! Lauda and Villeneuve are easier to understand – the two only scored a combined total of 11 points last season which in no means justified their high salary demands but nevertheless it's a huge shock that the drivers of this caliber were dismissed in favour of young and unproven drivers.
There were, of course, a number of very talented drivers keen to enter the sport this season. European F2 championship winning duo Brian Henton and Derek Warwick as well as European F3 champion Michele Alboreto and former British F3 champion Chico Serra were high on the list of many teams. Henton however got outrageously snubbed by every team and is still yet to find a drive.
Below you can see how the biddng process unfolded.
Ferrari
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#0 Carlos Reutemann - 1
#2 Nelson Piquet - 2
Ferrari shocks everyone by deciding not to extend the contract of World Champion Alan Jones. Instead the Maranello squad is able to lure in up-and-coming Brazilian Nelson Piquet who took the first and only win of his career on Ferrari's home ground in Imola last season. There are rumours that Jones demanded an absolute #1 status but Ferrari were having none of it and showed the door for the Australian ace. 1979 champion Reutemann enters the last year of his contract.
Tyrrell
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#3 Jody Scheckter - 1
#4 Didier Pironi - 1
Tyrrell line-up remains unchanged for a third year. Title favourites last season, the team only managed to take two victories (Scheckter in Brands Hatch, Pironi in Montréal) and finished third in the contructors championship. Pironi has been developing into a very fast driver while Scheckter has gained the most media attention. Second half of last season showed however that Pironi could well be the stronger of the two already. Overall very competitive package that is sure to be up there come the end of the season.
McLaren
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#7 Keke Rosberg - 3
#8 Nigel Mansell - 2
Rosberg's contract ended after 1980 but McLaren was able to re-sign the Finn for a three year contract. With two wins in the last two season Rosberg will most likely be the stronger of moustache-squad, although Nigel Mansell showed extremely promising speed on his rookie season last year. They finished fifth in the contructors last year and are certainly looking to improve this season, a move to Michelin camp underlining this ambition.
Fittipaldi
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#9 Patrick Tambay - 3
#10 Patrick Depailler - 1
Two-time World champion Niki Lauda's expensive contract ran out and the Austrian went on to found an airline. To replace Lauda, Fittipaldi signed another Patrick from France, Patrick Tambay who drove for Ligier thw last two seasons. Constantly demolishing his teammate during those years, Tambay will surely hope that a move to Fittipaldi is a step forwards.
Lotus
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#11 Jean-Pierre Jarier - 3
#12 Eddie Cheever - 2
Lotus had a change in administration last year and this was the first pre-season under the current management. This spelled little changes however as Eddie Cheever was offered a two-year extension to his contract. Rather surprisingly, Derek Daly's (who had been the stronger driver) contract wasn't extended. Instead, Lotus and Team Rebaque swapped Daly and Jarier with the Frenchman enjoying a second opportunity in the British team after a brief stint in 1978.
Renault
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#15 ??? - ?
#16 René Arnoux - 1
French manufacturer has been very quiet of their plans during off-season and many have questioned if the French outfit is retiring from the sport. Last season brought only two points (Villeneuve in Argentina) and the turbocharged cars didn't look particularly competitive. Villeneuve's contract ran out and the hadn't even signed anyone to replace him at the moment. The team is also missing a tyre supplier. Lots of questions looming – how long will the company board have patience?
Shadow
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#17 Alain Prost - 1
#18 Ricardo Zunino - 1
Year ago Shadow signed Alain Prost with much hype as their lead driver. Prost showed lots of speed but also some inconsistency throughout the season but finished it 10th in the drivers championship after all. Experienced German Jochen Mass achieved a third place finish in the season ending US Grand Prix but wasn't offered an extension. He will be replaced by Ricardo Zunino who had largely disappointing season with Wolf in 1980.
Wolf
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#19 Jacques Villeneuve - 1
#20 Mike Thackwell - 1
James Hunt has retired and it's some sort of a new start for Wolf. An expensive engine contract with Alfa was perhaps the main reason the team had to rely on two rookie pay-drivers for this season. Gilles' brother Jacques Villeneuve was chosen as the lead driver while promising teenager from New Zealand, Mike Thackwell, will try and challenge the Canadian. Thanks to Brabham going bankrupt the team won't after all have to pre-quailfy in the first half of the season.
Toleman
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#21 Hans Binder - 1
#22 Derek Warwick - 1
Toleman dominated the 1980 European Formula 2 season taking six wins in 12 races and drivers Brian Henton and Derek Warwick taking 1-2 in the championship. Despite Henton winning the title, he was surprisingly not offered a drive in Formula 1. Rather, Hans Binder was chosen as Warwick teammate. Binder was of course driving for Arrows last season but after only scoring four points, was shown the door. The team is still missing a engine contract so it has by no means been an easy start for them.
Alfa Romeo
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#23 Bruno Giacomelli - 1
#24 Siegfried Stohr - 1
Veteran Clay Regazzoni retired after 1980 which meant Alfa Romeo had to search for a replacement. Italian Siegfried Stohr, who finished fourth in 1980 European F2 championship despite missing the first two runs, was the one they chose as Giacomelli's teammate. Only thing missing now from an all-Italian lineup is Pirelli tyres – at the moment the team is using Goodyear rubber.
Ligier
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#25 Andrea de Cesaris - 1
#26 Kevin Cogan - 1
Last season's trip to pre-qualifying seems like a distant memory now. Patrick Tambay's 12 points scored in the second half of the season helped the team reach eight in constructors standings but it wasn't enough for Tambay who left for Fittipaldi. Takahara, Michelin and Matra weren't offered extensions either so Ligier is sporting a very different line-up this year. Youngster Andrea de Cesaris comes aboard from ATS and will be accompanied by young American Kevin Cogan who hasn't had any notable success in lower formulae. Ford will be their engine and Michelin their tyre supplier this season.
Williams
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#27 Elio de Angelis - 1
#28 Michele Alboreto - 3
Nelson Piquet left the team for Ferrari leaving Elio de Angelis undoubtly as the team's lead driver. The young Italian has improved vastly during his years in the British team and will have a fmiliar teammate this season as the reigning European F3 champion, compatriot Michele Alboreto joins him. Althoug de Angelis must regarded as one of the biggest favourites this season, Williams are clearly concentrating in long-time success with their young and still rather inexperienced driver line-up.
Arrows
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#29 Jacques Laffite - 2
#30 Ingo Hoffmann - 1
Jacques Laffite and Arrows surprised everyone last year with their stellar speed. A lower midfield team in 1979, the team made a huge leap forwards that allowed Laffite win four races and just barely miss out the title, finishing third in the championship. Ingo Hoffmann, who participated in six race weekends for Fittipaldi in 1976-77, makes a return to F1 as the driver of car #30. The Brazilian isn't a bad driver by any means but it's fair to say sponsorship money was the biggest factor in this deal. Ford and Michelin return, making Arrows one of the teams to watch this season.
Rebaque
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#31 Derek Daly - 2
#32 Stefan Johansson - 1
Team owner Héctor Rebaque steps down from a driver role to play a larger part in team management. It's not the only change either as the team has an all-new look this season. Team was able to sign Michelin tyres and Hart's turboengines and on top of that a very capable #1 driver in Derek Daly. Stefan Johansson made one attempt last season Wolf and makes a return this season, continuing Sweden's rich history in F1.
Theodore
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#33 ??? - ?
#34 Rupert Keegan - 2
Hong Kong based Theodore Racing makes a return to F1 after a two year hiatus. Last time around in 1978 it was a one car team and at the moment nothing seems to have changed. So far the team has managed to secure only one driver, Brit Rupert Keegan who is best remembered of his drive to third in 1979 Argentine GP. Ford engines and Goodyear tyres is a proven solid combination for a new team but there is still a lot to do if they are to be ready for the first race.
Osella
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#35 Chico Serra - 1
#36 ??? - ?
Osella joined F1 last season but had to face quickly how cruel world it is. With financial struggles plagueing the Italian team, they failed to qualify for a race even once. Zorzi and Gabbiani are gone and so far the team has only signed one contract – with the 1979 British F3 champion Chico Serra. The Brazilian has proven his talent but there is not much to do when the team doesn't even have engines or tyres!
March
Driver name - contract length (seasons)
#35 Bobby Rahal - 1
#36 ??? - ?
March is another returning team this season but of course with much richer history than Theodore. The team that achieved two wins and numerous poduim finishes in the 70's now has the backing from Matra factory. Bobby Rahal, who has raced for Shadow and Ensign teams in the past, was chosen as the lead driver. There no indications at the moment of who the second driver might be.
1981 Formula 1 teams:
- - - - - -
I will update the conversations soon. Second round of bidding for those who failed to complete their team will begin after I have released an updated manufacturer/driver list!
Info about winter testing will be posted after all conversations have been updated (likely tomorrow).
