Former F1 champion Jones dies aged 80

Alan Jones, the last Australian and first Williams driver to win the Formula 1 world title, dies at the age of 80. Alan Jones helped Williams become one of the dominant forces in Formula 1 in the 1980s and 1990s Alan Jones, the last Australian and first Williams driver to win the Formula 1 world title, has died at the age of 80. Jones raced in F1 between 1975 and 1986, winning the title in 1980 to become the first of Williams' seven world champions. Jones, who turned 80 on Monday, won 12 grands prix in his career and raced competitively in other formats until 2002. "We are extremely saddened to announce the passing of our beloved Alan, who passed away on 5 November following a short illness," his wife Amanda Butler-Davis said in a statement released on her behalf by Motorsport Australia.

"He will be dearly missed and fondly remembered by those closest to him, as well as the many fans whose support he was always grateful for." Jones started the first of his 116 F1 races in a Hesketh at the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix. He won his first race for the Shadow team in Austria in 1977 before joining Williams the following year. After finishing third in the drivers' championship in 1979, he won five races in