Alan Jones won the 1981 Las Vegas Grand Prix, but Nelson Piquet’s fifth place carried the larger consequence: the world championship. Carlos Reutemann, who had arrived in the title contest, finished eighth. Motor Sport’s contemporary report follows the race and the championship arithmetic at Caesars Palace.
The setting was a purpose-built course across the resort’s parking area, with heat and an unfamiliar layout adding to the challenge. This is the magazine’s original race reporting, not a memory reconstructed after Formula 1’s modern return. It preserves the surprise of an international championship being settled in a very unconventional Las Vegas setting.
1981 Caesars Palace Grand Prix race report
Motor Sport
Read at Motor Sport (opens in a new tab)Original magazine issue: November 1981. The archive’s later web-upload date is not the race date.
Original summary by ArenaLV. The source article, photographs and audio remain with their publisher. Access conditions may vary.