Lewis Hamilton has won the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award for the second time.
The Mercedes driver prevailed in a public vote to win the award for a second time, the first coming after winning the 2014 world championship.
The award recognises sporting success during the year, with Hamilton’s seventh world championship title during another dominant season the key to his success. But his off-track impact is also likely to have contributed given his high-profile anti-racism campaigning.
“Firstly, I just want to say congratulations to all the incredible nominees because I’m so proud of what they have achieved this year,” Hamilton said in his winning speech.
“I really want to say thank you for everyone that’s called in and voted for me, I really wasn’t expecting this knowing there’s so many great contenders but really we’re all winners.
“I really want to send a Merry Christmas to everyone, I know it’s been such an unusual year but all the frontline workers, all the children around the world, please try and stay positive through this difficult time. I’m sending everyone positivity and again thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
The 2020 BBC Sports Personality of the Year is…@LewisHamilton! 🎉
Congratulations Lewis! 👏
📲💻 Watch: https://t.co/FqF6sZLPUG#SPOTY pic.twitter.com/6ndrb9UV92
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 20, 2020
He added: “This year’s just shown how many iconic heroes we have here in the UK. So again, I’m just really proud to be among them all and I will continue to try and do my part for representing the country in the best way I can.
“And please everyone out there, go out and follow your [dreams], to all the kids please never give up on yourself, continue to believe in yourself because you have what it takes to be great.”
🏎 WINNER 🏎@LewisHamilton is your Sports Personality of the Year for 2020! #SPOTY
Show your support, click below and add your congratulations. 👏👏👏
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 20, 2020
Hamilton beat five other shortlisted candidates for the award. Stuart Broad (cricket), Ronnie O’Sullivan (snooker), Hollie Doyle (horse racing), Tyson Fury (boxing) and Jordan Henderson (football) were the other nominees.
Following his fifth and sixth world titles, Hamilton finished runner-up in the award voting. He was beaten by Cycling star Geraint Thomas in 2018 and by cricketer Ben Stokes last year.
It is the eighth time a Formula 1 driver has won the award, with Damon Hill (1994, ’96), Nigel Mansell (1986, ’92), Jackie Stewart (1973) and Stirling Moss (1961) alongside’s Hamilton’s double.
John Surtees also won it in 1959, although this was based on his success in the 500cc and 350cc World Motorcycle Championship classes before he started his car racing career.
In an interview in the Sports Personality of the Year TV show before the voting was opened, Hamilton paid tribute to the strength of the team around him and stressed his desire to fight for another title next year.
“Firstly, I couldn’t have done that without a great group of people behind me,” said Hamilton when asked how he keeps pushing himself.
“I’m so grateful for all their hard work and I think it’s a collaboration. I love each year we have to raise the bar, I love that as a driver physically and mentally that’s what I’m challenged to do, but also working with a group of people having to raise the bar collectively.
“It’s just a part of my DNA. I love what I do and I’ve been passionate about it since I was five-years-old, so each I year come back and I’m already back into training, since I fell ill [with COVID-19 earlier this month] and I’m already focused on being better next year. But it’s easier said than done.”
Hamilton also spoke of the importance of using his platform off track in anti-racism campaigning and his desire to increase the equality of opportunity in F1 in all areas.
“It shouldn’t be a matter of where you come from, we’ve really got to fight for gender equality,” said Hamilton.
“It doesn’t matter what your socio-economic background is or your religion. We’ve got to work collectively together – and that’s really why I put the Hamilton Commission together, to try and find out what the barriers are, break those down.
“It does go down to education, but really try to help encourage and move those barriers for young black kids getting into STEM subjects so they can get into engineering.
“There are so many jobs, great jobs within this industry and it’s not about seeing the next me come through particularly, it’s really about creating equal opportunity and reflective on the outside world.”
