# 1981 European Formula Two Championship

The 1981 European Formula Two season was the fifteenth European Formula Two season and was contested over 12 rounds. The season started on 19 March and ended on 20 September. The Drivers' Championship was won by Englishman Geoff Lees.

## Season review

| Rnd | Race | Track | Date | Laps | Distance | Time | Speed | Pole Position | Fastest Lap | Race Winner | Constructor |
| Rd.1 | BRDC International Trophy | Silverstone | 29 March | 47 | 221.793 km | 1'11:44.76 | 185.482 km/h | Mike Thackwell | Geoff Lees | Mike Thackwell | Ralt-Honda |
| Rd.2 | Jim Clark Gedächtnisrennen | Hockenheim | 5 April | 30 | 203.67 km | 1'00:28.05 | 202.095 km/h | Geoff Lees | Riccardo Paletti | Stefan Johansson | Lola-Hart |
| Rd.3 | Jochen Rindt Memorial Trophy | Thruxton | 20 April | 55 | 208.560 km | 1'04:02.40 | 195.403 km/h | Thierry Boutsen | Marc Surer | Roberto Guerrero | Maurer-BMW |
| Rd.4 | Internationales ADAC-Eifelrennen | Nürburgring | 26 April | 9 | 205,515 km | 1'05:04.63 | 189.481 km/h | Corrado Fabi | Thierry Boutsen | Thierry Boutsen | March-BMW |
| Rd.5 | Gran Premio di Roma | Vallelunga | 10 May | 65 | 208.0 km | 1'16:01.14 | 164.169 km/h | Eje Elgh | Corrado Fabi | Eje Elgh | Maurer-BMW |
| Rd.6 | Gran Premio di Mugello | Mugello | 24 May | 42 | 220.290 km | 1'15:20.99 | 175.414 km/h | Thierry Boutsen | Piero Necchi | Corrado Fabi | March-BMW |
| Rd.7 | Grand Prix Automobile de Pau | Pau | 8 June | 73 | 201.48 km | 1'33:13.91 | 129.664 km/h | Michele Alboreto | Geoff Lees | Geoff Lees | Ralt-Honda |
| Rd.8 | Gran Premio del Mediterraneo | Pergusa-Enna | 26 July | 45 | 222.75 km | 1'10:09.82 | 190.483 km/h | Thierry Boutsen | Thierry Boutsen | Thierry Boutsen | March-BMW |
| Rd.9 | Grand Prix de Formule 2 Belgique | Spa-Francorchamps | 9 August | 30 | 209.01 km | 1'10:02.68 | 179.037 km/h | Thierry Boutsen | Geoff Lees | Geoff Lees | Ralt-Honda |
| Rd.10 | Donington "50 000" | Donington Park | 16 August | 70 | 220.20 km | 1'16:49.82 | 171.963 km/h | Manfred Winkelhock | Geoff Lees Corrado Fabi | Geoff Lees | Ralt-Honda |
| Rd.11 | Gran Premio dell'Adriatico | Misano | 6 September | 60 | 209.28 km | 1'12:03.74 | 174.249 km/h | Thierry Boutsen | Michele Alboreto Geoff Lees | Michele Alboreto | Minardi-BMW |
| Rd.12 | Mantorp Park – F2 Trofén | Mantorp Park | 20 September | 65 | 203.125 km | 1'20:08.0 | 152.090 km/h | Corrado Fabi | Johnny Cecotto | Stefan Johansson | Lola-Hart |

## Drivers' Championship

| Pos | Driver | Car(s) | SIL | HOC | THR | NÜR | VAL | MUG | PAU | PER | SPA | DON | MIS | MAN | Pts |
| 1 | Geoff Lees | Ralt RH6/81-Honda | 7 | 5 | NC | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | Ret | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 51 |
| 2 | Thierry Boutsen | March 812-BMW | Ret | Ret | Ret | 1 | 3 | Ret | 2 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 37 |
| 3 | Eje Elgh | Maurer MM81-BMW | 18 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 7 | Ret | 17 | 35 |
| 4 | Stefan Johansson | Lola T850-Hart | 9 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 2 | Ret | 8 | Ret | 14 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 30 |
| 5 | Corrado Fabi | March 812-BMW | 3 | Ret | Ret | 3 | 4 | 1 | Ret | Ret | 4 | 2 | Ret | 7 | 29 |
| 6 | Mike Thackwell | Ralt RH6/81-Honda | 1 | 3 | | | | 5 | 6 | DSQ | Ret | 5 | 3 | 15 | 22 |
| 7 | Roberto Guerrero | Maurer MM81-BMW | Ret | 10 | 1 | Ret | Ret | 6 | Ret | 4 | Ret | Ret | 4 | Ret | 16 |
| 8 | Michele Alboreto | Minardi Fly 281-BMW | 11 | 8 | Ret | 8 | Ret | 14 | Ret | 3 | 8 | | 1 | | 13 |
| 9 | Manfred Winkelhock | Ralt RT2-BMW | | 2 | Ret | DSQ | | | | | | | | | 12 |
| 9 | Manfred Winkelhock | Maurer MM81-BMW | | | | | | | | | 5 | 3 | | | 12 |
| 10 | Riccardo Paletti | March 812-BMW | 2 | Ret | 3 | Ret | 6 | 10 | Ret | Ret | 15 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 11 |
| 11 | Piero Necchi | March 812-BMW | DNS | DNS | 6 | Ret | Ret | 3 | 3 | 11 | 7 | Ret | | | 9 |
| 12 | Huub Rothengatter | March 802-BMW | | | | | | | | 2 | 13 | 8 | 11 | Ret | 6 |
| 13 | Carlo Rossi | Toleman TG280-Hart | 5 | 6 | Ret | Ret | 8 | 8 | 4 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 10 | | 6 |
| 14 | Johnny Cecotto | Minardi Fly 281-BMW | 14 | Ret | 4 | DNS | Ret | | | | | | | | 6 |
| 14 | Johnny Cecotto | March 812-BMW | | | | | | 13 | 7 | Ret | Ret | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 15 | Kenny Acheson | Lola T850-Hart | 19 | Ret | Ret | 6 | 10 | 15 | Ret | | | | | 3 | 5 |
| 16 | Jim Crawford | Toleman TG280-Hart | 4 | 7 | Ret | Ret | 9 | 11 | 10 | | 6 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 4 |
| 17 | Richard Dallest | AGS JH17-BMW | Ret | Ret | Ret | | | | | | | | | | 4 |
| 17 | Richard Dallest | AGS JH18-BMW | | | | | Ret | 7 | Ret | | | | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| 17 | Richard Dallest | AGS JH15-BMW | | | | | | | | 9 | | | | | 4 |
| 18 | Christian Danner | March 812-BMW | 10 | 9 | 5 | 10 | Ret | 16 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 14 | Ret | 11 | 2 |
| 19 | Jo Gartner | Toleman TG280-BMW | | | | 7 | | 9 | | 6 | Ret | Ret | | | 1 |
| 19 | Jo Gartner | March 812-BMW | | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | 8 | 1 |
| 20 | Brian Robinson | Chevron B42-Hart | 6 | | DNS | | | | | | | | | | 1 |
| 20 | Brian Robinson | Chevron B48-Hart | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | | | 1 |
| — | Guido Pardini | Lola T850-BMW | Ret | Ret | Ret | 9 | 7 | 12 | DNS | Ret | Ret | 13 | Ret | | 0 |
| — | Fredy Schnarwiler | Lola T850-BMW | 15 | 12 | 9 | | Ret | Ret | | 7 | Ret | 16 | | | 0 |
| — | Ray Mallock | Ralt RT4-Hart | 8 | | | | | | DNQ | | 9 | Ret | | | 0 |
| — | Paul Smith | March 782-Hart | Ret | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| — | Paul Smith | March 802-Hart | | | 10 | | Ret | 19 | DNQ | 8 | 10 | 17 | DNQ | 14 | 0 |
| — | Harald Brutschin | March 802-BMW | | Ret | 8 | Ret | Ret | | DNQ | | 16 | | | | 0 |
| — | Ricardo Londoño | Toleman TG280-Hart | | | | | | | 9 | | Ret | DNS | | | 0 |
| — | Ricardo Londoño | Lola T850-Hart | | | | | | | | Ret | | | | | 0 |
| — | Anders Olofsson | March 792-Hart | | | | | | | | | | | Ret | 9 | 0 |
| — | Roberto Del Castello | March 782-BMW | | | | | | 18 | | 10 | | | Ret | | 0 |
| — | Paolo Barilla | Minardi Fly 281-Ferrari | | | | | | | | Ret | | | | | 0 |
| — | Paolo Barilla | Minardi Fly 281-BMW | | | | | | | | | | 10 | | | 0 |
| — | Guido Daccò | Minardi GM75-BMW | 17 | 11 | | Ret | 12 | 20 | | | 17 | Ret | DNQ | 12 | 0 |
| — | Guido Daccò | Merzario M1-BMW | | | | | | | | Ret | | | | | 0 |
| — | Sewi Hopfer | Toleman TG280-Hart | 13 | 13 | Ret | 14 | 11 | Ret | | | 11 | Ret | DNQ | | 0 |
| — | Warren Booth | Chevron B48-Hart | 16 | | 11 | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| — | Franz Konrad | March 802-BMW | | | | 11 | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| — | Tiff Needell | AGS JH18-BMW | | | | | | | | | | 11 | | | 0 |
| — | Gianfranco Trombetti | March 812-BMW | 20 | Ret | Ret | | DNQ | Ret | Ret | 12 | 12 | | 12 | 13 | 0 |
| — | Jürg Lienhard | March 802-BMW | 12 | Ret | | Ret | Ret | 17 | DNPQ | | | | | | 0 |
| — | Loris Kessel | March 812-BMW | | | | 12 | | Ret | | | | 19 | | | 0 |
| — | Loris Kessel | Merzario M1-BMW | | | | | | | DNPQ | | | | | | 0 |
| — | Loris Kessel | March 802-BMW | | | | | | | | Ret | | | | | 0 |
| — | Marc Surer | March 812-BMW | | Ret | 12 | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| — | Bernd Brutschin | March 802-BMW | | | | 13 | DNQ | | DNQ | | | | | | 0 |
| — | Miguel Ángel Guerra | Minardi Fly 281-Ferrari | | | | | | | | | | | 13 | | 0 |
| — | Keiji Matsumoto | March 802B-BMW | | | | | | | | | | 15 | | | 0 |
| — | Pierre Chauvet | Toleman TG280-BMW | | | | | | | | | | | | 16 | 0 |
| — | Kim Mather | March 792-Hart | Ret | | | | | | | | | 18 | | | 0 |
| — | Stanley Dickens | March 802-BMW | | | | | | | | | | | | 18 | 0 |
| — | Oscar Pedersoli | Ralt RT2-BMW | | | | | DNQ | Ret | Ret | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| — | Arturo Merzario | Merzario M1-BMW | DNQ | | DNS | | | | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| — | Arturo Merzario | March 812-BMW | | | | Ret | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| — | Patrick Gaillard | AGS JH17-BMW | | | | Ret | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| — | Patrick Gaillard | March 802-BMW | | | | | | | | | Ret | | | | 0 |
| — | Jochen Dauer | GRS TC 001-BMW | DNS | Ret | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| — | John Nielsen | March 792-BMW | | | | Ret | | | | | DNS | | | | 0 |
| — | Piero Nappi | Ralt RT2-BMW | | | | | DNQ | Ret | | | | | | | 0 |
| — | Marco Brand | Merzario M1-BMW | | | | | DNQ | | | | Ret | | | | 0 |
| — | Helmut Kallenborn | March 752-BMW | | | | Ret | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| — | Hervé Regout | Ralt RT2-BMW | | | | | | | | | Ret | | | | 0 |
| — | Roberto Farnetti | Minardi Fly 281-BMW | | | | | | | | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| — | Roy Baker | Chevron B48-Hart | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| — | Roy Baker | March 802-Hart | | | DNS | | | DNQ | DNPQ | | DNQ | DNQ | | | 0 |
| — | Bob Howlings | Chevron B42-Hart | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| Pos | Driver | Car(s) | SIL | HOC | THR | NÜR | VAL | MUG | PAU | PER | SPA | DON | MIS | MAN | Pts |
| Colour | Result |
| Gold | Winner |
| Silver | Second place |
| Bronze | Third place |
| Green | Points finish |
| Blue | Non-points finish |
| Blue | Non-classified finish (NC) |
| Purple | Retired (Ret) |
| Red | Did not qualify (DNQ) |
| Red | Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ) |
| Black | Disqualified (DSQ) |
| White | Did not start (DNS) |
| White | Withdrew (WD) |
| White | Race cancelled (C) |
| Blank | Did not practice (DNP) |
| Blank | Did not arrive (DNA) |
| Blank | Excluded (EX) |