1981 MONACO GRAND PRIX - STARTING GRID
31 May 1981
Circuit de Monaco, Monaco
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Nelson PiquetPIQ | Brabham Ford | 1:25.710 | 
| 2 | 27 | Gilles VilleneuveVIL | Ferrari | 1:25.788 | 
| 3 | 12 | Nigel MansellMAN | Lotus Ford | 1:25.815 | 
| 4 | 2 | Carlos ReutemannREU | Williams Ford | 1:26.010 | 
| 5 | 29 | Riccardo PatresePAT | Arrows Ford | 1:26.040 | 
| 6 | 11 | Elio de AngelisDEA | Lotus Ford | 1:26.259 | 
| 7 | 1 | Alan JonesJON | Williams Ford | 1:26.538 | 
| 8 | 26 | Jacques LaffiteLAF | Ligier Matra | 1:26.704 | 
| 9 | 15 | Alain ProstPRO | Renault | 1:26.953 | 
| 10 | 7 | John WatsonWAT | McLaren Ford | 1:27.058 | 
| 11 | 8 | Andrea de CesarisDEC | McLaren Ford | 1:27.122 | 
| 12 | 22 | Mario AndrettiAND | Alfa Romeo | 1:27.512 | 
| 13 | 16 | Rene ArnouxARN | Renault | 1:27.513 | 
| 14 | 30 | Siegfried StohrSTO | Arrows Ford | 1:27.564 | 
| 15 | 3 | Eddie CheeverCHE | Tyrrell Ford | 1:27.594 | 
| 16 | 33 | Patrick TambayTAM | Theodore Ford | 1:27.939 | 
| 17 | 28 | Didier PironiPIR | Ferrari | 1:28.266 | 
| 18 | 23 | Bruno GiacomelliGIA | Alfa Romeo | 1:28.323 | 
| 19 | 14 | Marc SurerSUR | Ensign Ford | 1:28.339 | 
| 20 | 4 | Michele AlboretoALB | Tyrrell Ford | 1:28.358 |