1980 Formula 1 World Champion Alan Jones has died at the age of 80 after a short illness. He died on November 5, three days after his birthday, Motorsport Australia reported.
“Alan was one of the most significant figures in the history of Australian motor sport,” said Andrew Fraser, president of Motorsport Australia. The statement was issued on behalf of his wife, Amanda Butler-Davis, who described his legacy as having a lasting influence on the sport in Australia and around the world.
The Williams champion
Jones won the world title with Williams in 1980, becoming the second Australian to win a Formula 1 championship trophy after Jack Brabham. Until his death, he remained the last Australian driver to win the championship.
In his championship season, Jones recorded five victories and secured the title with one race to spare. His success also brought Williams its first drivers’ championship in the team’s history.
12 wins in ten seasons
The Australian spent ten seasons in Formula 1 and won a total of 12 races. He made his debut in 1975 with Hesketh, while his first victory came in 1977 at the Austrian Grand Prix, when he was driving for Shadow.
After his championship season, Jones added two more victories in 1981. He later made brief returns to the sport, with his final appearance coming at the Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide in 1986.
The Melbourne-born driver continued to compete in Australian motor races after the end of his Formula 1 career. He won the “Bathurst 12 Hour” in 1993 in a Mazda RX-7 and later worked as a television commentator.
For his services to motor sport, Jones was awarded an MBE in 1980 and inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1985. In 2019, he was named a legend of the Australian Motor Sport Hall of Fame.
Sources: rbc.ru, abc.net.au, theguardian.com