Alan Jones, 1980

Alan Jones, after coming very close in 1979, and now driving a Williams FW07B, became the first Australian since Jack Brabham in 1966, to win the F1 Drivers’ World Championship. Jones won 5 times on his way to the title: In Argentina, France, Great-Britain, Canada and USA.

Picture above: Alan Jones celebrates victory at the 1980 French Grand Prix held at the Paul-Ricard, with the two Ligier drivers, Didier Pironi and Jacques Laffite, next to him.

For Frank Williams, Patrick Head and the whole Williams team, this 1980 season will always be remembered as the one where the team clinched both Drivers’ and Constructors’ championship for the first time. Picture below: Alan Jones sitting in his Williams FW07B , on the grid at Hockenheim.

The 1980 season also saw the emergence as a title contender of Nelson Piquet who finished second in the championship driving a Brabham and the debut of future World Champions Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell. Sadly, Frenchman Patrick Depailler lost his life while testing his Alfa Romeo, on August 1st 1980 at Hockenheim…