1981 French motorcycle Grand Prix

The 1981 French motorcycle Grand Prix was the fifth round of the 1981 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 16–17 May 1981 at the Paul Ricard Circuit.

  1981 French Grand Prix

Race details
Race 5 of 14 races in the 1981 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
Date	17 May 1981
Official name	Grand Prix de France Moto
Location	Circuit Paul Ricard
Course	Permanent racing facility 5.809 km (3.610 mi)
500cc
Pole position Rider Marco Lucchinelli Time 2:04.270 Fastest lap Rider Marco Lucchinelli Time 2:04.510 Podium First Marco Lucchinelli Second Randy Mamola Third Graeme Crosby
350cc
Pole position Rider No 350cc race was held Fastest lap Rider No 350cc race was held Podium First No 350cc race was held Second No 350cc race was held Third No 350cc race was held
250cc
Pole position Rider Anton Mang Time 2:12.620 Fastest lap Rider Thierry Espié Time 2:11.920 Podium First Anton Mang Second Thierry Espié Third Carlos Lavado
125cc
Pole position Rider Guy Bertin Time 2:19.370 Fastest lap Rider Ángel Nieto Time 2:18.870 Podium First Ángel Nieto Second Guy Bertin Third Pier Paolo Bianchi
50cc
Pole position Rider No 50cc race was held Fastest lap Rider No 50cc race was held Podium First No 50cc race was held Second No 50cc race was held Third No 50cc race was held

Classification

500 cc

Pos.	Rider	Team	Manufacturer	Time/Retired	Points
1	Marco Lucchinelli	Team Nava Suzuki	Suzuki	44'09.580	15
2	Randy Mamola	Ingersoll Herin Team Suzuki	Suzuki	+4.910	12
3	Graeme Crosby	Ingersoll Herin Team Suzuki	Suzuki	+5.350	10
4	Barry Sheene		Yamaha	+5.630	8
5	Kenny Roberts	Yamaha Motor Company	Yamaha	+13.950	6
6	Hiroyuki Kawasaki	Ingersoll Herin Team Suzuki	Suzuki	+30.090	5
7	Kork Ballington	Team Kawasaki	Kawasaki	+30.340	4
8	Boet van Dulmen		Yamaha	+30.980	3
9	Jack Middelburg	Racing Westland	Suzuki	+40.510	2
10	Marc Fontan	Team Sonauto Gauloises	Yamaha	+1'05.000	1
11	Seppo Rossi		Suzuki	+1'09.540
12	Bernard Fau		Yamaha	+1'10.000
13	Sergio Pellandini		Suzuki	+1'19.030
14	Kimmo Kopra		Suzuki	+1'38.520
15	Walter Migliorati		Suzuki	+1'40.270
16	Stuart Avant	Ellis Racing	Suzuki	+1'45.800
17	Jean Lafond		Yamaha	+1'50.830
18	Jacques Agopian		Suzuki	+1 lap
19	Dominique Pernet		Yamaha	+1 lap
20	Andreas Hofmann		Suzuki	+1 lap
21	Roberto Pietri		Suzuki	+1 lap
22	Alain Rothlisberger		Suzuki	+1 lap
23	Josef Hage	Dieter Braun Team	Yamaha	+1 lap
24	Antonio Grecco		Suzuki	+1 lap
Ret	Takazumi Katayama	Honda International Racing	Honda	Accident
Ret	Christian Sarron	Team Sonauto Gauloises	Yamaha	Accident
Ret	Hervé Guilleux		Yamaha	Accident
Ret	Peter Sjöström		Suzuki	Retired
Ret	Mike Baldwin		Yamaha	Retired
Ret	Sadao Asami		Yamaha	Retired
Ret	Gustav Reiner	Team Solitude Deutschland	Solo	Retired
Ret	Keith Huewen	Heron Suzuki GB	Suzuki	Retired
Ret	Franco Uncini		Suzuki	Retired
Ret	Christian Estrosi		Suzuki	Retired
Ret	Gianni Rolando		Lombardini	Retired
Ret	Philippe Coulon		Suzuki	Retired
Ret	Raymond Roche		Suzuki	Retired
DNS	Hubert Rigal		Yamaha	Did not start
DNQ	Carlo Perugini	Moto Sanvenero	Sanvenero	Did not qualify
DNQ	Lennart Bäckström		Suzuki	Did not qualify
DNQ	Franck Gross		Suzuki	Did not qualify
DNQ	Virginio Ferrari	Cagiva Corse	Cagiva	Did not qualify
DNQ	Raffaele Pasqual		Yamaha	Did not qualify
DNQ	Gina Bovaird		Yamaha	Did not qualify
Sources: