won by 21 seconds over Italian driver Elio de Angelis driving a Lotus 81. Championship points leader, Australian driver Alan Jones finished third in his Williams FW07B. Thanks to the high altitude (850 meters, or 2,840 feet) of the Interlagos circuit, the turbocharged Renaults of Jean-Pierre Jabouille and René Arnoux were dominant, running 1-2 for much of the race until Jabouille's turbo failed on lap 25. Pole-sitter Jabouille had made a poor start and dropped to fourth, with both Ligier JS11/15s and Gilles Villeneuve in his Ferrari 312T5 getting past; however, Jabouille's horsepower advantage on the high-altitude circuit meant that he passed both Ligiers; Jacques Laffite immediately on the Retao straight, Didier Pironi at Arquibacanas at the end of the first lap and took the lead from Villeneuve at the end of Reta Oposta into Curva do Sol. Arnoux had gotten up to 2nd, and when Jabouille retired Arnoux took the lead over and kept it until the checkered flag. Alain Prost (McLaren M29) and Riccardo Patrese (Arrows A3) battled for much of the second half of the race for fifth place, with Prost having the advantage through the corners while Patrese was quicker in the straights. Ricardo Zunino (Brabham BT49) bumped into John Watson (McLaren M29) at Curva 3 and spun off; however, he was able to recover and finish the race. Brazilian hopeful Nelson Piquet fought back to sixth after a poor start but then suffered a puncture which subsequently caused suspension failure. Pironi had to make an early pit stop after one of his aerodynamic skirts was stuck upwards, and he rejoined near the back of the field, however he began a charge and he was able to finish 4th on this most difficult and demanding of circuits. This effort was enough for Enzo Ferrari to take an interest in Pironi's services; which he secured for the 1981 season, replacing Scheckter, who withdrew from the category and motorsport at the end of 1980. This would be the last of 8 Grands Prix held at the original 5-mile Interlagos circuit. In addition to the safety problems not helped by the rather lackluster upgrades of the circuit, Sāo Paulo had grown at an alarming rate over the space of 10 years from 5 to 8 million people. There were growing favelas and shanty towns around the circuit, and the circuit's surrounding area's poverty-stricken appearance was at odds with Formula