Alan Jones, 1980 Formula 1 champion, dies aged 80

Alan Jones, the Australian driver who won the 1980 Formula 1 world championship with Williams, has died aged 80, his wife, Amanda Butler-Davis, announced. Her statement said he died on November 5 following a short illness. Jones had celebrated his 80th birthday three days earlier, on November 2. Jones became Australia’s second Formula 1 drivers’ champion, after Jack Brabham, and Williams’s first. His title came after five Grand Prix victories in 1980, including wins in Argentina, France, Britain, Canada and the United States. Williams also won its first constructors’ championship that season. The announcement described Jones as having dedicated his life to motorsport and thanked those who had supported him and his family. He is survived by Butler-Davis and their six children: Christian, Amber, Zara, Jack, Camilla and Emma. Jones made his Formula 1 debut in 1975 with Hesketh, then drove for Embassy Hill and Surtees. He secured his first Grand Prix victory at the 1977 Austrian Grand Prix with Shadow, before joining Williams in 1978. The move preceded the team’s rise to the front of the sport: Jones won four races in 1979 and finished third in the championship. He left Formula 1...