Alan Jones, 1980

After coming very close to the world title in 1979, Alan Jones, driving a Williams FW07B, became the first Australian to win the F1 Drivers’ World Championship, since Jack Brabham in 1966.

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.

Jones won 5 times : Argentina, France, Great-Britain, Canada and USA.

The 1980 season 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.