Jones to mark special Adelaide anniversary 

Australia’s last Formula 1 world champion, Alan Jones, will celebrate a special anniversary with a special car at the 2025 Adelaide Motorsport Festival.

Forty years on from the first Adelaide Formula 1 Grand Prix, Jones will drive the same F1 car on the same streets.

On Thursday October 31 1985, Jones kicked off the Australian Grand Prix by driving the first lap of the Adelaide street circuit in a Haas Lola THL1.

The 1980 champion carried on for the rest of the weekend and qualified the car 19th, 4.5s off the pace of pole man Ayrton Senna.

Jones completed 20 laps before he became the fourth retirement of the day with electrical dramas.

To mark the anniversary, both Jones and Haas Lola THL1 will both be present at the 2025 Adelaide Motorsport Festival.

With David Brabham also attending, the two Australians who raced a Formula 1 car in Adelaide will be at the festival.

The Australian Grand Prix was one of three starts Jones made in 1985 with the Haas Lola, but he did not reach the chequered flag in any of them.

The 2025 Adelaide Motorsport Festival will be held from March 8-9.

Photo by LAT Images

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