Alan Jones, who won the championship with Williams 40 years ago, was at the heart of the race in Melbourne as it fell apart
Always forthright, witty and warm, the former
Formula One world champion Alan Jones has his own unique take on the cancellation of the
Australian Grand Prix. With the straight-talking that marks Jones out as the quintessential Australian, he considers the disappointment of not racing from a driver’s perspective. “If you are being paid a huge amount of retainer you just think: ‘Well, that’s less work I’ve got to do’,” he says, with a chuckle. “Give me the choice of lying on a beach somewhere exotic or hopping in a car…”
Jones, who won the F1 world championship with Williams 40 years ago, was at the heart of the race in Melbourne as it fell apart. Working at Albert Park, he has remained in Melbourne. “We said: ‘bugger it, we are going to stay here and go to a couple of restaurants and enjoy ourselves’,” he explains.