| VATANEN | Ari ___, winner of the 1981 World Drivers" Championship in rallying (7) |
| ARIVATANEN | Winner of the 1981 World Drivers" Championship in rallying (3,7) |
| RENAULT | Make of car in which Fernando Alonso won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 2005 and 2006 (7) |
| MCENROE | John ___, winner of the 1981 Wimbledon singles tennis championship (7) |
| CANETTI | Elias ___, winner of the 1981 Nobel Prize in Literature (7) |
| PENHALL | Bruce -, US winner of the 1981 and 1982 Speedway World Championships (7) |
| SHERGAR | Irish racehorse, winner of the 1981 Derby by a record 10 lengths, stolen from the Ballymany Stud by masked gunmen in 1983 |
| SURTEES | John, British motorsport racer who won the Formula One drivers' championship in 1964 (7) |
| RUSHDIE | Salman, author of the 1981 novel Midnight's Children (7) |
| NELSONPIQUET | Winner of the F1 world drivers' championship in 1981, 1983 and 1987 (6,6) |
| ALONSO | Fernando ?, winner of the F1 World Drivers' Championship in 2005 and 2006 |
| YOKOONO | Object of the 1981 hit 'Woman' |
| MOUNTJOY | Doug, Welsh ex-snooker player who was runner-up in the 1981 World Championship (8) |
| DOUG | ____ Mountjoy, snooker player who was runner-up in the 1981 World Championship (4) |
| SENNA | Which Brazilian won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1988. 1990 and 1991? (5) |
| ROALDHOFFMANN | Joint winner of the 1981 Nobel Prize in Chemistry (5,8) |
| NELSON | Winner of the 1981 US PGA Championship (5,6) |
| LARRY | Winner of the 1981 US PGA Championship (5,6) |
| ALDANITI | Winner of the 1981 Grand National, ridden by Bob Champion (8) |
| HUNT | Winner of the Formula One drivers' championship in 1976, his only title (4) |
