1981 Rome Grand Prix
# 1981 Rome Grand Prix

The 23rd Gran Premio di Roma (Rome Grand Prix), was Round Five of the 1981 European Championship for F2 Drivers. This was held at the Autodromo Vallelunga Piero Taruffi, to the north of Rome, on 10 May.

## Report

### Entry

A total of 32 F2 cars were entered for the event, of which 27 took part in qualifying.

### Qualifying

Eje Elgh took pole position for the Maurer Motorsport, in their Maurer-BMW MM81, averaging a speed of 105.59 mph.

### Race

The race was held over 65 laps of the Vallelunga circuit. Eje Elgh took the winner spoils for Maurer Motorsport outfit, driving their Maurer-BMW MM81. Elgh won in a time of 1 h 16 min 1.14 s, averaging a speed of 102.01 mph. Second place went to another Swede, Stefan Johansson in the Docking Spitzley Team Toleman’s Lola-Hart T850. The podium was completed by the work March driver, Thierry Boutsen, in his March-BMW 812.

## Classification

### Race result

| Pos. | No. | Driver | Entrant | Car - Engine | Time, Laps | Reason Out |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1st | 16 | Eje Elgh | Maurer Motorsport | Maurer-BMW MM81 | 1hr 16:01.14 | |
| 2nd | 1 | Stefan Johansson | Docking Spitzley Team Toleman | Lola-Hart T850 | 1hr 16:04.42 | |
| 3rd | 4 | Thierry Boutsen | Marlboro Racing for Zolder/March Racing Ltd | March-BMW 812 | 1hr 16:07.74 | |
| 4th | 3 | Corrado Fabi | Roloil Marlboro Racing/March Racing Ltd | March-BMW 812 | 1hr 16:13.19 | |
| 5th | 14 | Geoff Lees | Ralt Racing Ltd | Ralt-Honda RH6/81 | 1hr 16:24.13 | |
| 6th | 7 | Riccardo Paletti | March Onyx Racing Team | March-BMW 812 | 1hr 16:53.09 | |
| 7th | 11 | Guido Pardini | Sanremo Racing Srl | Lola-BMW T850 | 1hr 17:00.76 | |
| 8th | 12 | Carlo Rossi | Sanremo Racing Srl | Toleman-Hart TG280 | 64 | |
| 9th | 77 | Jim Crawford | Plygrange Racing Ltd | Toleman-Hart TG280 | 63 | |
| 10th | 2 | Kenny Acheson | Docking Spitzley Team Toleman | Lola-Hart T850 | 63 | |
| 11th | 27 | Sewi Hopfer | Sewi Hopfer Racing | Toleman-Hart TG280 | 63 | |
| 12th | 28 | Guido Daccò | DAC Sport Racing Team | Minardi-BMW GM75 | 62 | |
| DNF | 40 | Paul Smith | BMTR | March-Hart 802 | 52 | Out of fuel/Gearbox |
| DNF | 18 | Freddy Schnarwiler | Formel Rennsport Club | Lola- BMW T850 | 39 | Fuel Pump |
| DNF | 17 | Roberto Guerrero | Maurer Motorsport | Maurer-BMW MM81 | 38 | Gearbox |
| DNF | 9 | Johnny Cecotto | Minardi Team | Minardi Fly-BMW 281 | 21 | Fuel Blockage |
| DNF | 19 | Piero Necchi | Astra Team Merzario Srl | March-BMW 812 | 10 | Collision |
| DNF | 10 | Michele Alboreto | Minardi Team | Minardi Fly-BMW 281 | 10 | Collision |
| DNF | 8 | Richard Dallest | Team AGS Motul GPA | AGS-BMW JH18 | 7 | Engine |
| DNF | 38 | Harald Brutschin | Weigel Renntecknik WRT | March-BMW 802 | 2 | Collision |
| DNF | 24 | Jürg Lienhard | Lista Racing Team | March-BMW 802 | 2 | Collision |
| DNF | 5 | Christian Danner | March Racing Team | March-BMW 812 | 0 | Suspension / Spin |
| DNQ | 20 | "Gianfranco" | Astra Team Merzario Srl | March-BMW 812 | | |
| DNQ | 21 | Marco Brand | Astra Team Merzario Srl | March-BMW 812 | | |
| DNQ | 34 | Oscar Pedersoli | Bertram Schäfer Racing | Ralt-BMW RT2 | | |
| DNQ | 39 | Bernd Brutschin | Weigel Renntecknik WRT | March-BMW 802 | | |
| DNQ | 56 | Piero Nappi | Scuderia Vesuvio Flammini | Ralt-Hart RT2 | | |

* Fastest lap: Corrado Fabi, 1 min 9.06 s. (103.651 mph)
