Autodromo Nazionale di Monza · 13 September 1981
Alain Prost won the 1981 Italian Grand Prix for Renault from 3rd on the grid, 22.175s ahead of Alan Jones. Brian Henton gained the most places, from 23rd on the grid to 10th.
| Pos | Team | Points Breakdown | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Williams Jones 6 + Reutemann 4 | Jones 6 + Reutemann 4 | 10 | |
| 2 | Renault Prost 9 + Arnoux 0 | Prost 9 + Arnoux 0 | 9 | |
| 3 | Team Lotus de Angelis 3 + Mansell 0 | de Angelis 3 + Mansell 0 | 3 | |
| 4 | Ferrari Pironi 2 + Villeneuve 0 | Pironi 2 + Villeneuve 0 | 2 | |
| 5 | Brabham Piquet 1 + Rebaque 0 | Piquet 1 + Rebaque 0 | 1 | |
| 6 | McLaren de Cesaris 0 + Watson 0 | de Cesaris 0 + Watson 0 | 0 | |
| 7 | Alfa Romeo Giacomelli 0 + Andretti 0 | Giacomelli 0 + Andretti 0 | 0 | |
| 8 | Osella Jarier 0 | Jarier 0 | 0 | |
| 9 | Toleman Henton 0 | Henton 0 | 0 | |
| 10 | March Daly 0 | Daly 0 | 0 | |
| 11 | Ligier Tambay 0 + Laffite 0 | Tambay 0 + Laffite 0 | 0 | |
| 12 | Arrows Patrese 0 | Patrese 0 | 0 | |
| 13 | Tyrrell Alboreto 0 + Cheever 0 | Alboreto 0 + Cheever 0 | 0 | |
| 14 | Ensign Salazar 0 | Salazar 0 | 0 | |
| 15 | ATS Borgudd 0 | Borgudd 0 | 0 |
| Pos | Driver | Team | Race time / Gap | Laps | Stops | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alain Prost Renault | Renault | 1:26:36.897 | 52 | — | 9 | |
| 2 | Alan Jones Williams | Williams | +22.175s | 52 | — | 6 | |
| 3 | Carlos Reutemann Williams | Williams | +50.587s | 52 | — | 4 | |
| 4 | Elio de Angelis Team Lotus | Team Lotus | +1:32.902 | 52 | — | 3 | |
| 5 | Didier Pironi Ferrari | Ferrari | +1:34.522 | 52 | — | 2 | |
| 6 | Nelson Piquet Brabham | Brabham | DNF Engine | 51 | — | 1 | |
| 7 | Andrea de Cesaris McLaren | McLaren | DNF Puncture | 51 | — | — | |
| 8 | Bruno Giacomelli Alfa Romeo | Alfa Romeo | +2 Laps | 50 | — | — | |
| 9 | Jean-Pierre Jarier Osella | Osella | +2 Laps | 50 | — | — | |
| 10 | Brian Henton Toleman | Toleman | +3 Laps | 49 | — | — | |
| DNF | Mario Andretti Alfa Romeo | Alfa Romeo | DNF Engine | 40 | — | — | |
| DNF | Derek Daly March | March | DNF Gearbox | 36 | — | — | |
| DNF | Patrick Tambay Ligier | Ligier | DNF Puncture | 22 | — | — | |
| DNF | Nigel Mansell Team Lotus | Team Lotus | DNF Suspension | 21 | — | — | |
| DNF | John Watson McLaren | McLaren | DNF Accident | 19 | — | — | |
| DNF | Riccardo Patrese Arrows | Arrows | DNF Gearbox | 18 | — | — | |
| DNF | Michele Alboreto Tyrrell | Tyrrell | DNF Accident | 17 | — | — | |
| DNF | Eliseo Salazar Ensign | Ensign | DNF Spun off | 13 | — | — | |
| DNF | René Arnoux Renault | Renault | DNF Spun off | 12 | — | — | |
| DNF | Jacques Laffite Ligier | Ligier | DNF Puncture | 11 | — | — | |
| DNF | Eddie Cheever Tyrrell | Tyrrell | DNF Spun off | 11 | — | — | |
| DNF | Slim Borgudd ATS | ATS | DNF Spun off | 10 | — | — | |
| DNF | Gilles Villeneuve Ferrari | Ferrari | DNF Engine | 5 | — | — | |
| DNF | Hector Rebaque Brabham | Brabham | DNF Electrical | 1 | — | — |