Piastri thanks Jones in heartfelt tribute to F1 icon

Australian F1 star Oscar Piastri has paid tribute to Alan Jones after the 80-year-old’s death on Thursday and thanked the racing icon for the support he showed in the early days of his career.

Jones passed away just three days after his 80th birthday after a short illness, his family confirmed.

He was one of only two Australian F1 drivers to win the world title after Sir Jack Brabham.

“Obviously a very sad day,” Piastri said when asked about Jones at the Interlagos circuit ahead of this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix. “I think a life that should be very well celebrated.

“A guy that had a lot of success on the race track and Australia’s most recent world champion. But I think also the person he was, a very, 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.

“I’ve had the honour to drive his world championship-winning car as well. So very cool to be able to experience that and connect with him in some kind of way.

“Obviously a sad day, but a day that should celebrate a great life.”

In a statement released by Motorsport Australia, Jones' wife Amanda Butler-Davis confirmed the news.

“We are extremely saddened to announce the passing of our beloved Alan, who passed away on 5 November following a short illness,” Butler-Davis said.

“He will be dearly missed and fondly remembered by those closest to him, as well as the many fans whose support he was always grateful for.

“Alan dedicated his life to motor sport, building a legacy that will live on through the countless people he touched along the way.

“Through his achievements, passion and unmistakable character, both on and off the track, Alan left an enduring mark on the sport both nationally and across the globe.

“As a family, we would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who was part of Alan’s journey for the many years of friendship, love and support. He was incredibly fortunate to have so many wonderful people around him.”

Melbourne born, Jones was swept up in driving from a young age with his father Stan an amateur racer.

During his career Jones started 116 grands prix, had 12 victories to his name and 24 podiums.

He made his driving debut for Hesketh in 1975 before enjoying stints with Hill, Surtees, Shadow, Williams, Arrows and Haas.

It was his five race victories at tracks in Argentina, France, Britain, Canada and the USA which earned him the title in 1980.

Despite the efforts of Mark Webber, Daniel Ricciardo and Piastri, no Australian has been crowned F1 champion since Jones.

Paying tribute to Jones, Webber said: “It’s a sad day for Australian motorsport. We had so many giggles off camera. A shitload of giggles off camera back in the day doing the TV work.

“He’s a good character gone. A warrior I’d say. A warrior and a character gone, and he made his presence felt for our country.

“He flew the flag really hard, which is what you want. You can’t ask for any more than that. Didn’t leave anything on the table.

"He was absolutely straight with his opinions, and everyone knew where they stood with him.

“He raced against some really, really just tough characters. The (Nelson) Piquets, the (Jody) Scheckters, (Keke) Rosbergs, all those generation guys were all just tough cookies.

“When AJ won the championship, I was only, whatever I was, five or six — but I managed to spend a bit of time with him and had a few laughs here and there of course.

“He was always supportive of me when I was in F1, and when I was over there we’d bumped into each other quite a bit.”

Jones was inducted in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1985.