Alan Jones, Australian F1 champion and Williams title winner, dies at 80

Alan Jones, the Australian Formula One world champion, has died aged 80 following a brief illness. His family announced his death on Thursday, just three days after he celebrated his birthday.

Jones won the 1980 drivers' title with Williams, giving the team its first Formula One world championship. He was the second and so far last Australian to win the title, following Jack Brabham.

“If someone passed me, I took it personally.”

His career featured 12 grand prix victories and 24 podium finishes. Jones made his Formula One debut in 1974 at the Spanish Grand Prix in a privately entered Hesketh.

Born in Melbourne in 1946, Jones grew up as the son of Stan Jones, who won the 1959 Australian Grand Prix. His early path to Europe included financial struggles and a testing crash at Brands Hatch that left him with a broken leg.

Jones was known for his aggressive driving style and abrasive personality. He once said rivals were simply things that had to be passed, and he did not seek friendships with other drivers.

A public feud with Argentinian teammate Carlos Reutemann once required a police escort for Jones at his next race in Argentina. He also held a grudge against Ferrari over a disputed 1977 contract.

Jones was inducted into the Australian Motorsport Hall of Fame and Sport Australia Hall of Fame. Beyond racing, he became a familiar television face alongside Darrell Eastlake on Nine.