Back Hamilton for SPOTY now before British GP win captures hearts
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If you fancy an outsider to arrive late in the day and snatch this year’s Sports Personality of the Year award from the favourites, then Lewis Hamilton might just be your man.
The reigning Formula One world champion is 33/1 to grab December’s annual accolade, having previously done so in 2014.
Runner-up spots in 2007 and 2008 show just how popular the Mercedes driver is with the British public, and a quick look at his social media profiles tells us he’s probably Britain’s coolest sportsperson too.
Former favourite Jamie Vardy has already seen his odds slide out to 8/1, with Andy Murray, Anthony Joshua and Gareth Bale all in the hunt at 4/1.
But Murray could still come unstuck at Wimbledon, while Joshua has already had his day in the sun, and Bale’s success has very much been a team effort.
Furthermore, the title battle between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg is set to run and run, and a titanic scrap into the Autumn could be just the thing for Lewis to win over the British public’s hearts one more time.
A third successive win at the British Grand Prix would certainly go some way to helping his chances, so if you are going to back the three-time world champ, do it before he steals all the headlines this coming Sunday.
And while it is very much an Olympic year, Formula One champions have a canny knack for prevailing.
Nigel Mansell won 1992’s award, over the likes of Sally Gunnell and Linford Christie despite their exploits in Barcelona.
And Damon Hill won the public’s vote four years later, triumphing over any achievements from the 1996 games in Atlanta.
Statistically Formula One is the second-most successful sport in the awards, with seven winners and six runners-up, ahead of football, tennis, cricket and rugby.
Should Lewis win at Silverstone this weekend, and launch another successful Championship campaign, we’ll be saying we told you so when December rolls around.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
