Red Bull Ring · 16 August 1981
Jacques Laffite won the 1981 Austrian Grand Prix for Ligier from 4th on the grid, 5.17s ahead of René Arnoux. Andrea de Cesaris gained the most places, from 18th on the grid to 8th.
| Pos | Team | Points Breakdown | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ligier Laffite 9 + Tambay 0 | Laffite 9 + Tambay 0 | 9 | |
| 2 | Renault Arnoux 6 + Prost 0 | Arnoux 6 + Prost 0 | 6 | |
| 3 | Williams Jones 3 + Reutemann 2 | Jones 3 + Reutemann 2 | 5 | |
| 4 | Brabham Piquet 4 + Rebaque 0 | Piquet 4 + Rebaque 0 | 4 | |
| 5 | McLaren Watson 1 + de Cesaris 0 | Watson 1 + de Cesaris 0 | 1 | |
| 6 | Team Lotus de Angelis 0 + Mansell 0 | de Angelis 0 + Mansell 0 | 0 | |
| 7 | Ferrari Pironi 0 + Villeneuve 0 | Pironi 0 + Villeneuve 0 | 0 | |
| 8 | Osella Jarier 0 | Jarier 0 | 0 | |
| 9 | March Daly 0 | Daly 0 | 0 | |
| 10 | Alfa Romeo Andretti 0 + Giacomelli 0 | Andretti 0 + Giacomelli 0 | 0 | |
| 11 | ATS Borgudd 0 | Borgudd 0 | 0 | |
| 12 | Arrows Patrese 0 + Stohr 0 | Patrese 0 + Stohr 0 | 0 | |
| 13 | Ensign Salazar 0 | Salazar 0 | 0 | |
| 14 | Tyrrell Alboreto 0 | Alboreto 0 | 0 | |
| 15 | Theodore Surer 0 | Surer 0 | 0 |
| Pos | Driver | Team | Race time / Gap | Laps | Stops | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacques Laffite Ligier | Ligier | 1:27:36.470 | 53 | — | 9 | |
| 2 | René Arnoux Renault | Renault | +5.170s | 53 | — | 6 | |
| 3 | Nelson Piquet Brabham | Brabham | +7.340s | 53 | — | 4 | |
| 4 | Alan Jones Williams | Williams | +12.040s | 53 | — | 3 | |
| 5 | Carlos Reutemann Williams | Williams | +31.850s | 53 | — | 2 | |
| 6 | John Watson McLaren | McLaren | +1:31.140 | 53 | — | 1 | |
| 7 | Elio de Angelis Team Lotus | Team Lotus | +1 Lap | 52 | — | — | |
| 8 | Andrea de Cesaris McLaren | McLaren | +1 Lap | 52 | — | — | |
| 9 | Didier Pironi Ferrari | Ferrari | +1 Lap | 52 | — | — | |
| 10 | Jean-Pierre Jarier Osella | Osella | +2 Laps | 51 | — | — | |
| 11 | Derek Daly March | March | +6 Laps | 47 | — | — | |
| DNF | Mario Andretti Alfa Romeo | Alfa Romeo | DNF Engine | 46 | — | — | |
| DNF | Slim Borgudd ATS | ATS | DNF Brakes | 44 | — | — | |
| DNF | Riccardo Patrese Arrows | Arrows | DNF Engine | 43 | — | — | |
| DNF | Eliseo Salazar Ensign | Ensign | DNF Oil pressure | 43 | — | — | |
| DNF | Michele Alboreto Tyrrell | Tyrrell | DNF Gearbox | 40 | — | — | |
| DNF | Bruno Giacomelli Alfa Romeo | Alfa Romeo | DNF Heat shield fire | 35 | — | — | |
| DNF | Hector Rebaque Brabham | Brabham | DNF Clutch | 32 | — | — | |
| DNF | Siegfried Stohr Arrows | Arrows | DNF Overheating | 27 | — | — | |
| DNF | Alain Prost Renault | Renault | DNF Suspension | 26 | — | — | |
| DNF | Patrick Tambay Ligier | Ligier | DNF Engine | 26 | — | — | |
| DNF | Nigel Mansell Team Lotus | Team Lotus | DNF Engine | 23 | — | — | |
| DNF | Gilles Villeneuve Ferrari | Ferrari | DNF Accident | 11 | — | — | |
| DNF | Marc Surer Theodore | Theodore | DNF Distributor | 0 | — | — |