Rush hour

Alan Jones (Williams FW07C), Nelson Piquet (Brabham BT49C), Jacques Laffite (Talbot Ligier), Carlos Reutemann (Williams), Mario Andretti (Alfa Romeo), John Watson (McLaren), Elio de Angelis (Lotus), Patrick Tambay (Talbot Ligier) and Didier Pironi (Ferrari) are neck and neck, just after the start of the 1981 Dutch Grand Prix, while Gilles Villeneuve (Ferrari) is spinning out on the sidelines in the background (see the full photo).

But it’s worth noting that the two Renaults RE30 of Alain Prost, who started from pole position, and René Arnoux, who qualified just behind him, had already passed and were leading the race. It was “The Professor” who would ultimately triumph after the 72 laps, ahead of Nelson Piquet’s Brabham and the Williams of reigning champion Alan Jones.

Nelson Piquet’s second place allowed him to come back, with three races remaining, in the championship and to be tied on points (45) with his title rival the Argentinian Carlos Reutemann, who was eliminated in a collision with Jacques Laffite.

We remember that the championship would be decided in the last round in Las Vegas, where Nelson Piquet finished fifth and won the title by one point, and where Carlos Reutemann, for reasons that will never be explained, finished outside the points after starting on pole…