Oscar Piastri pays tribute to Australian F1 legend Alan Jones following his death
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McLaren's Oscar Piastri has paid tribute to Alan Jones following the death of Australia's 1980 Formula 1 world champion.
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Jones died at the age of 80 on 5 November 2026, following a short illness. He won 12 grands prix, celebrated 24 podium finishes and gave Williams its first drivers' title. He also remains the last Australian to have won the Australian Grand Prix at Calder Park in 1980.
Jones competed in the championship from 1975 to 1981, in 1983 and again from 1985 to 1986. In addition to Williams, he also drove for Hesketh, Hill, Surtees, Shadow, Arrows and Haas-Lola.
Speaking to F1.com at Interlagos ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend, Piastri said: "It's obviously a very sad day. A life that should be very well celebrated. I think [he was] a guy who obviously had a lot of success on the racetrack and was Australia’s most recent world champion.
"But I think also the person he was, you know, a very straightforward person, straight to the point. On a personal level as well, he often had nice things to say about me, which was nice."
Frank Dernie, Frank Williams and Alan Jones
Frank Dernie, Frank Williams and Alan JonesThe Australian driver revealed he had driven the Williams in which Jones won his title.
"I’ve had the honour to drive his world championship-winning car as well, so [it was] very cool to be able to experience that and connect with him in some kind of way. A sad day, but a day that should celebrate a great life.
"Obviously, he was a long, long time before me, and I never had much interaction with Alan. But I think in a lot of ways, he kind of embodied the Australian spirit – very tough, saying it how it is, saying what he thinks, and I think that’s probably the biggest thing.
"Anyone who’s won a world championship in F1 has clearly achieved it through talent, hard work, all kinds of other things, so I think that probably says enough."
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