12 Wins, 1980 Crown and Williams’ First Title: F1 Great Alan Jones Dies at 80

Alan Jones, the last Australian driver to win the Formula 1 title and the first to win the championship for Williams, has died at 80 after a short illness. Jones, the successor to Sir Jack Brabham in Australia’s F1 title bid, was a fiercely competitive and famously blunt driver in the 1970s and the early 80s era of the sport.

Having moved to Europe in 1970, Jones’ first win in F1 came in 1977, when he went from 14th to first at the Austrian Grand Prix while driving for Shadow Ford. The win was so unexpected that the organizers did not have a copy of the Australian national anthem ready to be played at the end of the race. Instead, they had to hire a drunk man who played ‘Happy Birthday’ on his trumpet.

A short-term replacement in ’77 became a diamond in the rough in ’78, with Frank Williams signing the Australian driver on for a long-term contract. For Williams, Jones was someone who “never needed propping up mentally nor any babysitting or hand-holding.”

The same year, Jones took Williams’ first podium finish in F1 while driving at Watkins Glen. Then, in 1979, he would deliver his team’s first-ever pole position run in Qualifying during the Silverstone GP. And while all these results were already building a strong portfolio for the driver and his team, his best was yet to come.

Alan Jones Would Join F1 Royalty in 1980

Sitting behind the wheel of the formidable FW07B, Jones combined blistering pace, remarkable consistency, and a unique driving skill set to produce a memorable season of F1. Having established himself as the man to beat, the late Australian driver opened his campaign with a race win in Argentina.

He would add to his tally in France, Britain, and the U.S., with his aggressive yet calculated driving style proving decisive as the championship battle intensified, with Jones repeatedly delivering under pressure.

The defining moment of the championship would come in Canada, where a first-corner collision would lead to a multi-car accident and a subsequent race restart. Jones, alongside Nelson Piquet, were the primary parties responsible for the chaos, with the latter having to retire from the race owing to engine failure.

This gave the Aussie driver a clear run to the victory line, and allowed him to secure the crown mathematically. Having taken five race wins in 1980, Jones became the world champion by a margin of 67 points. But never one to do things by half measures, the Australian didn’t back off after his win and would go on to help Williams earn their first constructors’ title the same year.

Away from the five wins in 1980, Jones took home four race wins in 1979 (Austria, Canada, Germany, and Netherlands) alongside two in 1981 (US GP West and Caesars Palace).

The Do-or-Die Mentality of Alan Jones

Tough, bullish, and famously outspoken, Jones was never a man to be messed with. The Aussie driver brought a street-fighter-like mentality to F1, earning the reputation of one of the sport’s most uncompromising competitors. For many, the tough act he put on display was just a mask, but he would prove them all wrong soon.

Ahead of the 1981 Italian Grand Prix in Monza, Jones was involved in a street brawl against two young drivers in Chiswick, London. The confrontation led to a broken finger for the defending champion, but he would still race in Italy and finish the race in P2.

The same combative nature would then surface in his relationship with teammate Carlos Reutemann in 1981. The rivalry would reach boiling point in Brazil when Reutemann ignored team orders to take the victory ahead of Jones.

Unhappy with what he had seen in Brazil, Jones refused to help his teammate out in Las Vegas when the title was on the line. As a result, Piquet, who finished the race in P5, became the champion that season. Meanwhile, Jones would take home the race win in Vegas, marking his final triumph in F1.

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