Mark Webber pays tribute to ‘mongrel’ Alan Jones after death at age 80, Australian spirit in motorsport, Oscar Piastri’s reflections, paddock tributes, commemoration

Alan Jones had a “level of mongrel” in the way he raced in Formula 1 that has influenced Australian motorsport for decades, according to nine-time grand prix winner Mark Webber.

Jones, the 1980 Formula 1 world champion, died this week aged 80 after a brief illness.

The Melbourne-born Aussie had an unlikely road to Formula 1, moving to the UK with little money and with long odds of cracking the grand prix scene, but he doggedly persisted until he could get a foot in the door of the paddock.

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Jones took his opportunity by the scruff of the neck with his physical, elbows-out racing style, developing a reputation as an on-track pugilist who intimidated his rivals.

His on-track persona and his no-nonsense off-track attitude made him a perfect fit for Williams in its early days, and together he and the team won their first titles in 1980.

It was Australia’s first world title since the last of Jack Brabham’s three championships in 1966 and remains the country’s most recent triumph.

Speaking to Fox Sports, Webber said Jones’s unmistakable style had an indelible influence on Formula 1.

“He wouldn’t mind me saying this word: I think having that level of mongrel about you — the way that he went about racing, I think was quintessentially Australian,” he says in an interview for MotorRacing 360.

“He was vicious. I’ve had messages from people all around the world just touching base and saying how much of a hard racer he was.

“He was hard, and I think that was how he carried himself on the track. That was the legacy that AJ left.

“His competitive nature was so high, so driven to really ruffle some feathers along the way and make his presence felt and have success along the way too — he wasn’t going to be a pushover.

“There’s no question about it: he’s had an impact on F1 drivers, particularly the Australians, with me, Daniel (Ricciardo) and Oscar (Piastri).

“He’s had a very, very positive impact.”

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Jones is being remembered this week for his uncompromising style. With what became sad irony, he was described as the sport’s most underrated champion by Motor Sport Magazine on his 80th birthday, just days before his death.

Webber says that if Jones was underappreciated, it was because he did not seek the limelight but that his achievements speak for themselves.

“He was the first Williams world champion of course, and he and (team boss) Sir Frank Williams and (technical director) Patrick Head were cut from the same cloth: against all odds, having a crack — and they did. Beating the Ferraris of this world and everyone at that time — it was very unique.

“It was a dangerous time to race against tough warriors: (Nelson) Piquet, (Jody) Scheckter, Niki (Lauda), Alan Prost, Keke Rosberg and all the rest.

“You’ve got to get up early in the day to beat those boys, so it was a really incredible career that he had.

“People that want all of that on the edge and around their successes, they can probably get a little bit more notoriety in many ways, but AJ wasn’t big on that, as we know.

“He didn’t want all that — I think that often gets him pulled into the underrated category.”

Both Jones and Webber were largely self-made Formula 1 stars, making their way through the European racing scene without major institutional backing. Jones reportedly had just £50 in his pocket upon arrival in the UK and toiled as a used car dealer to fund his racing activities.

By the time Webber made it to Europe some two decades later, racing had become too expensive and too professional to fund with a side-hustle, but he was able to count on a loan from Wallabies star David Campese to get him over the line.

The struggle of making it big in a European motorsport from Australia indelibly influences the sort of character a driver becomes.

“It’s not lost on us that Jack and AJ and even our two-wheel guys, whether it’s Casey (Stoner), Mick (Doohan) or Wayne (Gardner), they’re all similar characters, and you need to be able to have a certain amount of substance,” he says. “You’ve got to have the right minerals about yourself to make it stick over there.

“AJ always (said to) make sure that you’re there for yourself, boxing for yourself. You’re going to have some rough seas; there’s no question about it. That’s the nature of the sport. But you have to get back up and keep going.

“He was great, putting the Aussie flag at the forefront of people’s minds when he was racing and how he went about it.

“We were going to make our presence felt. It’s really critical that you make your presence felt when you compete at that level.”

His achievement against the odds will ensure his ferocious legacy lives on.

“AJ was his own man, and you’ve got to be over there to perform at the level that he did. He flew the flag for Australia so well,” Webber says.

“He was a tough cookie and a savage racer — absolutely savage, which is how we like them.

“There’s lots of forks in the road and there’s a lot of areas where it can come unstuck, but I think in essence the spine of the character is what can get you through and, and AJ did that with flying colours.”

FORMULA 1 WORLD PAYS TRIBUTE TO JONES

Oscar Piastri came close to breaking Australia’s title drought last year, 45 years after Jones’s 1980 triumph.

The younger Australian paid tribute to Jones as a representative of his country.

“A very sad day; a life that should be very well celebrated (for the) guy that had a lot of success on the racetrack and Australia’s most recent world champion, but also the person he was — a very straightforward person, straight to the point.

“In a lot of ways he embodied the Australian spirit — very, very tough, saying it how it is, saying what he thinks. I think that’s probably the biggest thing.

“On a personal level, he often had nice things to say about me, which was nice. I’ve had the honour of driving his world-championship-winning car as well — it was 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.”

Williams released a statement praising Jones for the indelible mark he left on the team in its formative years.

“Everyone at Williams is deeply saddened to learn of Alan Jones’s passing,” the team said.

“Alan was instrumental in making Williams what it is today, forming an extraordinary bond with Frank Williams and Patrick Head to become our first drivers world champion in just our fourth season in Formula 1.

“He set the standard for Williams champions: a fast, uncompromising racer with a challenger mentality who loved motor racing and dedicated his life to it.

“He is a true Australian icon and a Williams legend, and he will be dearly missed.”

Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said Jones was a “true great” of Formula 1.

“Alan was a formidable competitor, a natural leader and an icon who inspired generations of fans, particularly in his beloved Australia.

“His place in Formula 1 history is assured, not least for bringing Williams their first drivers and constructors world championships in 1980, a defining moment for the team and our sport.

“But beyond his achievements on track, Alan will be remembered for his character, his passion and the lasting mark he left on Formula 1.

“He will be greatly missed by the entire Formula 1 family. On behalf of Formula 1, I send my heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones. Our thoughts are with them at this very sad time.”

Five-time Supercars champion Mark Skaife described Jones as “one of the all-time greats” and “certainly one of the toughest racing drivers in history.

Fox Sports Supercars commentator Richard Craill said: “I was incredibly lucky to have a beer with Alan once at the hotel bar in Melbourne while working on the F1 coverage.

“It was utterly brilliant and everything you’d hope a beer with the 1980 champ would be.

“Stories, laughs, the works. One of the great hours of my fortunate life.”

Greg Rust, who was the face of Formula 1 coverage in Australia with Jones in the 2000s and 2010s, said it was “hard to process”

“They don’t make em like AJ now. No nonsense. No BS. Just said it straight. You gotta love that.

“His wit was quick too and you could have some fantastic laughs with him, like the time he took me on a hot lap in a Lexus LFA. As always he grabbed it by the scruff of the neck (and) had it pinned before we’d even left pit lane! The smiles…”

Television host and former Supercars driver Grant Denyer remembered Jones as “generous, honest, entertaining, witty and clever”.

“What a racer. What a legend. Man this guy could tell some epic yarns. Funny as, straight as an arrow and one of our greatest behind the wheel.”