©Sutton
©Sutton
On this day in 1981, the 1981 South African Grand Prix should have been the opening round of the season, but an ongoing FISA-FOCA war resulted in the governing body insisting on a date change which the organisers could not meet.
The race took place any way, but was downgraded by FISA to Formula Libre status and stripped of any points.
Ferrari, Renault, Alfa Romeo, Ligier and Osella - the manufacture/turbo teams all pulled out of the event, leaving Bernie Ecclestone's FOCA outfits to battle it out.
From a field of 19 cars, Williams' Carlos Reutemann led home Nelson Piquet's Brabham and the Lotus of Elio d Angelis.
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