A champion's death confirmed by his family
Alan Jones, who captured the 1980 Formula 1 drivers' championship, has died at the age of 80 following a brief illness, according to reports carried by ABC and the BBC. The Australian had marked his 80th birthday on Monday. His wife, Amanda Butler-Davis, issued a statement confirming that he died on 5 November, describing the loss of a man the family held dear.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5][S7][S8]
Outlets across the sport reported the same news, with ESPN, Motorsport.com, RacingNews365, F1i, AFP and The Washington Post among those confirming the death of the 1980 title winner. The BBC's coverage noted that the former champion had devoted his life to motorsport.[S2][S3][S4][S5][S6][S7][S8]
From Hesketh to Williams: the making of a title winner
Jones made the first of his 116 Formula 1 starts at the wheel of a Hesketh in the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix. His maiden victory came in Austria in 1977 while driving for Shadow, and the following season he moved to Williams, the team with which he would become world champion.[S1]
In 1980 he won five races and secured the crown ahead of Nelson Piquet, becoming the first Williams driver to take the title. That achievement also placed him alongside Jack Brabham as the only Australians to have won the championship. He remained in Formula 1 until 1986.[S1]
Born in Melbourne in 1946, Jones followed a family path into racing: his father, Stan Jones, had won the 1959 Australian Grand Prix at Longford. The younger Jones also holds the distinction of being the most recent Australian to win the Australian Grand Prix, a feat he achieved at Calder Park Raceway in Melbourne in 1980, when the event did not count toward the world championship. He kept competing in other categories until 2002.[S1]
Tributes from Formula 1 and Williams
Stefano Domenicali, Formula 1's president and chief executive, expressed deep sorrow at the death, calling Jones a true great of the sport and an extraordinary racer. He also described him as a formidable competitor, a natural leader and an icon who inspired generations of fans.[S1]
Williams said the entire organisation was deeply saddened by the news and credited Jones with helping to shape the team into what it is today. The outfit noted the extraordinary bond he formed with co-founders Frank Williams and Patrick Head, and pointed out that he is inseparable from its history as its first world champion in 1980.[S1]
After stepping away from driving in 1986, Jones moved into broadcasting and worked as a commentator on Channel Nine's Formula 1 coverage in Australia from 1987 to 2002, becoming a familiar voice on the sport in his homeland. He is survived by his wife and six children; the family statement thanked everyone who had shared in his journey for years of friendship, love and support.[S1]
