Australia’s Formula 1 world champion Alan Jones loses battle with illness, dies aged 80

Australia’s Alan Jones, the world drivers’ king in 1980, died four days after Kimi Antonelli sealed the 2026 title at age 20 - and just three days after Jones himself turned 80 - with his wife Amanda confirming the sad news.

“We are extremely saddened to announce the passing of our beloved Alan, who passed away on 5 November following a short illness,” she said.

“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.”

While Jones remains an immortal figure in Australian motorsport, his death will be felt across the entire sporting world because he was a genuine global star.

Competing in a sport where there are no guarantees that anyone will get to an old age, there are just two surviving world champions alive today that outdated Jones; Jackie Stewart (87) and Mario Andretti (86).

That’s part of the appeal of F1 champions, who are such a rare and special breed of people because of the risks they take behind the wheel. When Jones was still racing, he would renew his life insurance policy at the start of every new season to ensure his wife had enough to live off should he be killed.

But as a backup, he also wore red underpants, which he believed were his lucky charm. And so they proved.

He is a revered legend in Australian motor racing circles because he is one of just two Aussies to have won the drivers’ world championship. The other is Jack Brabham, who claimed the title three times, in 1959, 1960 and 1966.

Not only was he a fearless driver, but Jones also drove people around the bend with his straight-shooting blunt commentary and mannerisms.

He took it personally when anyone overtook him on the track and once flipped a finger at the rival Ferrari team while exiting the pits.

But his fiery competitiveness only endeared him more to other Aussies because he also had an irreverent sense of humour.

In 1977, when he won his first Grand Prix race at Austria, it caught everyone by such a surprise that the officials had to improvise at the ceremony.

“The organisers obviously didn’t expect it to happen because they didn’t have the Australian national anthem,” Jones once recalled. “So a drunk played ‘Happy Birthday’ on a trumpet.”

Although he finished on top of the standings just once, Jones was a force in the premier category for years, competing in an era alongside some of the greatest drivers of all time.

He also finished third in the final standings in 1979 and 1981. In total, his F1 career spanned over a decade from 1975-1986 and featured 12 Grands Prix wins, 24 podium finishes and six pole positions.

But his statistics were only part of the Jones story. A classic Aussie battler, he fought his way to the top despite often struggling to make ends meet.

Born in Melbourne, he moved to England in the early 1970s on a wing and a prayer. To pay his way, he ran a boarding house and used to buy used mini vans which he would fix up and resell to backpackers.

After he won his first Grand Prix at Austria in 1977, he earned himself a seat at the fledgling Frank Williams-owned team for the following season. Williams had never won a world title before but had the financial backing of Saudi Airlines.

With Jones in the cockpit, the Williams team won its first world title in 1980, with the Australian registering five race wins that season, and clinching the crown with a race to spare.

Jones won Grands Prix in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Argentina, Canada, the United States, France and Britain.

He also won the Australian Grand prix that year, but it was not part of the world championship.

However Jones never won in Monaco, home to F1’s most iconic race. He competed there eight times, and only made it to the finish twice.

He should have won in 1981 after he took the lead on lap 54 when Nelson Piquet, under enormous pressure from the Australian, crashed.

Jones proceeded to open up a huge lead and looked certain to win when his car began to sputter and misfire 11 laps from the end because of a fuel problem.

He was so far in front that he came into the pits so his mechanics could try and fix the problem but they were unable to. Although he returned to the track still ahead, he was helpless to prevent Gilles Villeneuve from overtaking him from laps from the end. Jones had to settle for second.

Williams went on to become one of the F1s most successful teams, with Keke Rosberg, Piquet, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve all winning championships. But Jones holds pride of place in the team’s garage as its first champ.

“Alan dedicated his life to motorsport, building a legacy that will live on through the countless people he touched along the way,” his wife Amanda said.

“Through his achievements, passion and unmistakeable character, both on and off the track, Alan left an enduring mark on the sport both nationally and across the globe.”

He remains one of just five Australians to have won an F1 race, with Mark Webber, Daniel Ricciardo and most recently Oscar Piastri also having stood atop the podium in motorsport’s No.1 competition.

The Australia Grand Prix Corporation led an outpouring of tributes to Jones.

“As a Formula 1 world champion and one of Australia’s greatest racing drivers, Alan holds a special place in the history of our sport,” the AGPC said in a statement.

“His 1980 world championship inspired a generation of Australian motorsport fans, while his victory at the Australian Grand Prix that same year remains the last time an Australian driver has won their home grand prix.

“He leaves an extraordinary legacy in Australian motorsport and will be deeply missed by the motorsport community around the world.”

Alan is survived by his wife, Amanda, and his children, Christian, Amber, Zara, Jack, Camilla and Emma.