The Sydney Morning Herald·Australia·Thursday, November 5, 2026 at 03:16 AM UTC

‘A legacy that will live on’: Australian motor sport legend Alan Jones dies at 80

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Hannah Kennelly

Motorsport legend Alan Jones, the last Australian driver to win the Formula 1 championship, has died just days after his 80th birthday.

Jones claimed the F1 world title in 1980 with Williams, and was the second Australian to win the drivers’ championship behind Sir Jack Brabham.

Alan Jones celebrates winning the United States Grand Prix West on March 15, 1981.Getty

He raced in the elite motor sport category between 1975-1986, claiming 12 wins and earning 24 podium finishes from 117 grands prix.

He was inducted in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1985.

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Hannah Kennelly is an award-winning sports reporter and Formula 1 writer at The Age.Connect via email.

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