In South Africa, Jones qualified 18th out of 21 cars, but did not take the start. The official reason for this was that he had fallen ill, although it was rumored at the time that the team had decided to join the French Renault and Ligier teams in boycotting the race in protest to South Africa's apartheid policy. In 2017, Jones described a meeting with Bernie Ecclestone the night before the race, who suggested that Jones feign illness the next morning and not show up. Ecclestone described how Beatrice were under pressure in the US from activists such as Jesse Jackson not to race, under threats including strike action by African Americans working in their businesses. Only Jones and team management Teddy Mayer and Carl Haas were aware of this plan. Jones said "And so, on the Saturday morning I was gone. I just didn't turn up. They had the car out ready to go, when they were told, "AJ's been struck down by a virus and we are not racing.""