Alan Jones, the 1980 Formula 1 world champion, has died at the age of 80. Jones, who was the first driver to secure a world title for the Williams team, passed away on November 5 following a short illness, according to a statement released by his wife, Amanda Butler-Davis.
Jones, who celebrated his 80th birthday on the Monday before his passing, competed in Formula 1 from 1975 to 1986. During his career, he won 12 Grands Prix and achieved 30 podium finishes in 116 starts. He secured his championship title in 1980, finishing ahead of Nelson Piquet.
His racing career began with Hesketh in 1975, and he achieved his first Grand Prix victory for the Shadow team in Austria in 1977. He joined Williams the following year, and after a third-place finish in the 1979 drivers' championship, he dominated the 1980 season with five wins. He retired from F1 at the end of the 1981 season after winning the Las Vegas Grand Prix, his final career victory.
Jones made a brief return to F1 with Arrows in 1983 and a more substantial comeback with the new Haas team in 1985 and 1986. He continued to race in touring car and endurance events in Australia until 2002.
Jones was the second Australian to win the F1 championship, following Sir Jack Brabham. He remains the most recent Australian to win the Australian Grand Prix in 1980, though that event was not part of the world championship that year. After his racing career, Jones became a notable motorsports pundit on television in his native Australia. His wife described him as having "dedicated his life to motorsport" and leaving "an enduring mark on the sport both nationally and across the globe."