Alan Jones, Williams' first world champion, dies aged 80

Alan Jones, Williams' first Formula 1 world champion, has died at the age of 80 following a battle with illness. Jones won 12 races and claimed 24 podium finishes during an F1 career that ran from 1975 to 1986, and he was Australia's second and most recent Formula 1 world champion.

Jones made his debut in 1975 with Hesketh, and later raced for Embassy Hill and Surtees before winning the 1977 Austrian Grand Prix for Shadow. He joined Williams the following season, helping the British team become a powerhouse of the sport at the end of the decade. He retired from F1 for good after the 1986 season, continuing in sportscars and the Australian Touring Car Championship.

In later years Jones was team director of the Australian F1 Grand Prix effort, competed in Grand Prix Masters in 2005, and worked as an F1 commentator and pundit on Australian television. His wife, Amanda, said in a statement that he 'dedicated his life to motorsport', and he is survived by her and six children.