PIASTRI LEADS F1 COMMUNITY IN TRIBUTES TO ALAN JONES

Alan Jones, the 1980 F1 World Champion who delivered Williams their first title, died Thursday at 80. The Australian drove the team to their breakthrough season alongside technical chief Patrick Head, taking five wins with teammate Carlos Reutemann to lock up both championships and establish Williams as an F1 powerhouse.

Oscar Piastri led tributes in São Paulo, calling Jones "a life that should be very well celebrated" and praising his straight-talking edge. Piastri once drove Jones' title car and said the connection meant something. Current Williams drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon honored him as foundational—"our first winner, our first champion," Sainz said.

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali called Jones "a formidable competitor" whose 1980 title remains a defining moment. Jones' breakthrough launched Williams into F1's elite tier—the first of seven drivers' championships that define the team's legacy.