The former Formula 1 world champion is dead. He died three days after his birthday

Alan Jones followed in the footsteps of compatriot Jack Brabham when he won the Drivers' Championship in 1980, becoming the first of seven world champions for a British team.

Alan Jones died after a short illness

“It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Alan, who passed away on November 5 after a short illness,” his wife, Amanda Butler-Davis, said in a statement provided by Motorsport Australia on her behalf.

"He will be greatly missed by those who were closest to him, as well as by his many fans whose support he always greatly appreciated," she added.

"He didn't need hand guidance"

A tough and uncompromising driver, Jones was the archetypal player Frank Williams was looking for when building the team that won nine constructors' championships in the 1980s and 1990s, writes Reuters.

He never needed mental support because he was a very determined and stubborn person - Frank Williams, who died in 2021, once said about Jones.

He didn't need babysitting or holding his hand, and that's how it should be. I shouldn't have to ask the driver if he's happy or if he needs to change his underwear, said the head of the famous team.

To Europe to make your dreams come true

Melbourne-born Alan Jones, the son of a racing driver, went to Europe to pursue his ambitions and made his Formula One debut in a Hesketh car at the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix. He achieved the first of his twelve victories for Shadow in Austria in 1977, but his career went largely unnoticed before joining Williams in 1978.

Jones won five world championship races in the 1980 season and finished on the podium in all but one Grand Prix he completed, securing the title just ahead of Brazilian Nelson Piquet. He remains the last Australian Formula One champion and the last local winner of the Australian Grand Prix. He won at Calder Park Raceway in Melbourne in 1980, when the race was not part of the world championship.

End of career and comeback

Jones started a total of 116 Formula 1 races, with his last victory in Las Vegas in 1981, before announcing his retirement at the end of the season. After rejecting an offer from Ferrari and making a few stints on the track, Jones returned to Formula One with the new Haas team in 1985 and raced, mostly unsuccessfully, in the 1986 season before retiring permanently.

He continued to compete in touring and endurance car racing, mainly in Australia, into the early part of the new century, last competing in V8 Supercars in 2002.

After retiring from Formula 1, Jones became a motorsports commentator on Australian television, where his knowledge and directness gained recognition among fans.

“Alan dedicated his life to motorsport, building a legacy that will live on through the countless people he met along the way,” his wife said in a statement. "Thanks to his achievements, passion and unique character - both on and off the track - Alan left a lasting mark on the sport, both at home and around the world," it added.