This list of 1981 motorsport champions is a list of national or international auto racing series with a Championship decided by the points or positions earned by a driver from multiple races.
Dirt oval racing Series Champion Season article World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Sammy Swindell 1981 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Teams: Nance Speed Equipment
Drag racing Series Champion Season article NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series Top Fuel: Jeb Allen 1981 NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series Funny Car: Raymond Beadle Pro Stock: Lee Shepherd
Karting Series Driver Season article Karting World Championship Mike Wilson 1981 Karting World Championship CIK-FIA Junior World Cup Michel Vacirca 1981 CIK-FIA Junior World Cup Karting European Championship ICA: Peter De Bruijn 1981 Karting European Championship FC: Gianfranco Baroni FC-2: Gianfranco Baroni
Motorcycle racing Series Driver Season article 500cc World Championship Marco Lucchinelli 1981 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season 350cc World Championship Anton Mang 250cc World Championship 125cc World Championship Ángel Nieto 50cc World Championship Ricardo Tormo Speedway World Championship Bruce Penhall 1981 Individual Speedway World Championship AMA Superbike Championship Eddie Lawson 1981 AMA Superbike Championship Australian Superbike Series Rob Phillis 1981 Australian Superbike Series
Open wheel racing Series Driver Season article FIA Formula One World Championship Nelson Piquet 1981 Formula One World Championship Constructors: Williams-Ford CART PPG Indy Car World Series Rick Mears 1981 CART PPG Indy Car World Series Manufacturers: Cosworth Rookies: Bob Lazier Australian Drivers' Championship Alfredo Costanzo 1981 Australian Drivers' Championship Cup of Peace and Friendship Jiří Moskal 1981 Cup of Peace and Friendship Nations: East Germany Formula Atlantic Jacques Villeneuve 1981 Formula Atlantic season Formula Nacional Jose Luis Llobell 1981 Formula Nacional SCCA Formula Super Vee Al Unser Jr. 1981 SCCA Formula Super Vee season South African National Drivers Championship Bernard Tilanus 1981 South African National Drivers Championship Formula Two Australian Formula 2 Championship John Smith 1981 Australian Formula 2 Championship European Formula Two Championship Geoff Lees 1981 European Formula Two Championship All-Japan Formula Two Championship Satoru Nakajima 1981 All-Japan Formula Two Championship Formula Three FIA European Formula 3 Championship Mauro Baldi 1981 FIA European Formula 3 Championship Teams: Euroracing All-Japan Formula Three Championship Osamu Nakako 1981 All-Japan Formula Three Championship Teams: Hayashi Racing British Formula Three Championship Jonathan Palmer 1981 British Formula Three Championship Chilean Formula Three Championship Sergio Santander 1981 Chilean Formula Three Championship French Formula Three Championship Philippe Streiff 1981 French Formula Three Championship German Formula Three Championship Frank Jelinski 1981 German Formula Three Championship Italian Formula Three Championship Eddy Bianchi 1981 Italian Formula Three Championship Teams: Team del Porto Soviet Formula 3 Championship Viktor Klimanov 1981 Soviet Formula 3 Championship Swiss Formula Three Championship Marcel Wettstein 1981 Swiss Formula Three Championship Formula Renault French Formula Renault Championship Philippe Renault 1981 French Formula Renault Championship Formula Renault Argentina Carlos Lauricella 1981 Formula Renault Argentina Formula Ford Australian Formula Ford Championship Phillip Revell 1981 TAA Formula Ford Driver to Europe Series Brazilian Formula Ford Championship Egon Herzfeldt 1981 Brazilian Formula Ford Championship British Formula Ford Championship Ayrton Senna 1981 British Formula Ford Championship British Formula Ford 2000 Championship Tommy Byrne 1981 British Formula Ford 2000 Championship Danish Formula Ford Championship Kim Dupont1981 Danish Formula Ford Championship European Formula Ford Championship Cor Euser 1981 European Formula Ford Championship Formula Ford 1600 Netherlands Cor Euser 1981 Formula Ford 1600 Netherland EFDA Formula Ford 2000 Championship Tommy Byrne 1981 EFDA Formula Ford 2000 Championship Irish Formula Ford Championship Arnie Black 1981 Irish Formula Ford Championship New Zealand Formula Ford Championship Jeff Pascoe 1981 New Zealand Formula Ford Championship Scottish Formula Ford Championship Vic Covey1981 Scottish Formula Ford Championship Swedish Formula Ford Championship Bengt Trägårdh 1981 Swedish Formula Ford Championship
Rallying Series Driver Season article World Rally Championship Ari Vatanen1981 World Rally Championship Co-Drivers: David Richards Manufacturers: Talbot African Rally Championship Shekhar Mehta 1981 African Rally Championship Australian Rally Championship Geoff Portman 1981 Australian Rally Championship Co-Drivers: Ross Runnalls British Rally Championship Jimmy McRae 1981 British Rally Championship Co-Drivers: Ian Grindrod Canadian Rally Championship Randy Black 1981 Canadian Rally Championship Co-Drivers: Bob Lee Deutsche Rallye Meisterschaft Alfons Stock 1981 Deutsche Rallye Meisterschaft Estonian Rally Championship Ivar Peedu 1981 Estonian Rally Championship Co-Drivers: Juhan Kasemaa European Rally Championship Adartico Vudafieri 1981 European Rally Championship Co-Drivers: Arnaldo Bernacchini Finnish Rally Championship Group 1: Antero Laine 1981 Finnish Rally Championship Group 2: Kyösti Hämäläinen French Rally Championship Bruno Saby 1981 French Rally Championship Hungarian Rally Championship Attila Ferjáncz 1981 Hungarian Rally Championship Co-Drivers: János Tandari Italian Rally Championship Antonio Fassina 1981 Italian Rally Championship Co-Drivers: Rudy Dal Pozzo Manufacturers: Opel New Zealand Rally Championship Jim Donald 1981 New Zealand Rally Championship Polish Rally Championship Tomasz Ciecierzyński 1981 Polish Rally Championship Romanian Rally Championship Ludovic Balint 1981 Romanian Rally Championship Scottish Rally Championship Donald Heggie 1981 Scottish Rally Championship Co-Drivers: Ian Mungall South African National Rally Championship Sarel van der Merwe 1981 South African National Rally Championship Co-Drivers: Franz Boshoff Manufacturers: Toyota Spanish Rally Championship Jorge de Bagration 1981 Spanish Rally Championship Co-Drivers: Ignacio Lewin
Rallycross Series Driver Season article FIA European Rallycross Championship TC: Martin Schanche 1981 FIA European Rallycross Championship GT: Matti Alamäki British Rallycross Championship Keith Ripp 1981 British Rallycross Championship
Sports car and GT Series Driver Season article World Sportscar Championship Bob Garretson 1981 World Sportscar Championship Over 2000cc Makes: Porsche Under 2000cc Makes: Lancia IMSA GT Championship GTX: Brian Redman 1981 IMSA GT Championship GTO: David Cowart GTU: Lee Mueller Australian Sports Sedan Championship Tony Edmonson 1981 Australian Sports Sedan Championship Australian Sports Car Championship John Latham 1981 Australian Sports Car Championship Can-Am Geoff Brabham 1981 Can-Am season Under 2-Litre: Jim Trueman
Stock car racing Series Driver Season article NASCAR Winston Cup Series Darrell Waltrip 1981 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Manufacturers: Buick NASCAR Winston West Series Roy Smith 1981 NASCAR Winston West Series ARCA Racing Series Larry Moyer 1981 ARCA Racing Series Turismo Carretera (1980–1981) Antonio Aventín 1980–1981 Turismo Carretera Turismo Carretera (1981) Roberto Mouras 1981 Turismo Carretera USAC Stock Car National Championship Dean Roper 1981 USAC Stock Car National Championship
Touring car Series Driver Season article European Touring Car Championship Umberto Grano Helmut Kelleners 1981 European Touring Car Championship Australian Endurance Championship Toyota 1981 Australian Endurance Championship Australian Touring Car Championship Dick Johnson 1981 Australian Touring Car Championship British Saloon Car Championship Win Percy 1981 British Saloon Car Championship Coupe d'Europe Renault 5 Alpine Wolfgang Schütz 1981 Coupe d'Europe Renault 5 Alpine Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft Klaus Ludwig 1981 Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft French Supertouring Championship Jean-Pierre Malcher 1981 French Supertouring Championship Stock Car Brasil Affonso Giaffone Jr. 1981 Stock Car Brasil season TC2000 Championship Jorge Omar del Río 1981 TC2000 Championship
See also List of motorsport championships Auto racing