VALE ALAN JONES: AUSTRALIA'S F1 CHAMPION DIES AT 80, JUST DAYS AFTER HIS BIRTHDAY
Australia has lost one of its great sporting characters.
Alan Jones, the Melbourne-born driver who won the 1980 Formula One world championship, has died aged 80 after a short illness.
His death on Thursday came just three days after he celebrated his 80th birthday on 2 November.
The news was shared by his wife, Amanda Butler-Davis, in a family statement released through Motorsport Australia.
As Sky Sports reported, she said he "will be dearly missed and fondly remembered by those closest to him".
He leaves behind Amanda and six children: Christian, Amber, Zara, Jack, Camilla and Emma.
Alan Jones: from car yard to world champion
Racing ran in the family.
His father, Stan Jones, was a racing driver who won the 1959 Australian Grand Prix, and young Alan grew up working in his dad's Holden dealership while racing a Mini.
He first headed to Europe in 1967 but could not afford a drive, so he came home and tried again.
In 1970 he moved to London and, with a mate, bought and sold second-hand cars to fund his racing.
It was hardly glamorous, and along the way he even broke his leg in a testing crash at Brands Hatch.
He made his Formula One debut in 1975 and scored his first win at the 1977 Austrian Grand Prix with the Shadow team.
Then came the move that changed everything.
He joined Williams in 1978, and in 1980 he won the world championship, the first ever drivers' title for the now famous British team.
That made him only the second Australian to be crowned world champion, after Sir Jack Brabham, and he remains the last Aussie to take the title.
By the time he hung up his helmet in Formula One in 1986, he had notched up 12 grand prix wins.
A familiar voice in Australian lounge rooms
For many Australians who never watched a race in the 1980s, Alan Jones was still a household name.
He spent 15 years as a Formula One commentator on Channel Nine, from 1987 to 2002, and later joined Network 10 when it held the broadcast rights.
He also raced touring cars at home, including at Bathurst, where his final race was the 2002 Bathurst 1000.
He was made an MBE in 1980 for services to motor racing and was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1989.
Tributes pour in
The tributes say as much about the man as the medals.
His family described his "unmistakable character, both on and off the track", according to the ABC.
Fellow Australian Formula One driver Mark Webber called it a sad day for Australian motorsport.
Webber said Jones "flew the flag really hard, which is what you want", as Athlon Sports reported.
His old team Williams posted that he was instrumental in making the team what it is today, calling him a true Australian icon.
Current McLaren star Oscar Piastri shared a simple "Vale" tribute to Jones on his Instagram Story.
ESPN noted that the family also thanked everyone who had been part of his long journey in the sport.
Why his story still matters
There is something wonderfully Australian about the way Alan Jones made it.
He did not arrive in Europe with a fortune behind him.
He arrived with grit, a bit of cheek and a willingness to sell second-hand cars in London if that is what it took.
For anyone chasing a big dream on a small budget, it is a story worth remembering.
If you want to share a memory of him, raise a cuppa, dig out an old race on YouTube with the family, or simply tell the kids about the Aussie who once beat the world.
Our thoughts are with Amanda, the Jones children and all who loved him.
Vale, Alan Jones.
