BBC SPOTY 2025: Which F1 drivers have won prestigious award

george russell, lewis hamilton, lando norris, jenson button, british, graphic — Photo: © IMAGO

Which F1 drivers have won BBC Sports Personality of the Year?

Which F1 drivers have won the BBC award?

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Monday 15 December 2025 14:59 Updated: 09:50

Lando Norris has become the latest in a long line of F1 drivers who have been nominated for the prestigious sporting award, BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Norris claimed drivers' championship success last weekend in Abu Dhabi, and has recently been given his trophy at the FIA prize giving gala in Uzbekistan, after having beaten four-time champion Max Verstappen to the title.

As a result of his maiden world championship, Norris has been invited to another sports awards ceremony on Thursday December 18, with the Brit being nominated alongside footballer Hannah Hampton, World Darts champion Luke Littler, golfer Rory McIlroy, World Cup-winning rugby player Ellie Killdunne and Chloe Kelly for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award for 2025.

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A number of F1 drivers have been nominated for the award in the past including Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton and James Hunt, but who are the F1 stars to have won the award?

Which F1 drivers have won Sports Personality of the Year?

Five F1 drivers have won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, with Norris hoping to become the sixth later this month.

The first F1 driver to complete the feat was Stirling Moss back in 1961, in what was his final year in the sport.

Moss managed to win two races in 1961 at the German Grand Prix and at the Monaco GP, which was arguably the Brit's most famous victory. 1961 saw Moss driving a poor and outdated Lotus car, yet he still managed to finish third in the drivers' championship.

Jackie Stewart also won the BBC SPOTY award, in 1973 following his retirement from the sport. The Scot won his third world championship title in his final year in the sport, and that led to his victory in the prestigious award too.

Nigel Mansell won SPOTY twice, in 1986 and, most famously, in 1992. That particular award win came following his world championship victory, and Mansell memorably sat next to Damon Hill at the ceremony, the man who it was announced during the SPOTY ceremony would be replacing the world champion at Williams.

In a famous interview, the shock news seemed to take Mansell back, with the Brit saying: "I think Damon sitting next to me deserves the opportunity to drive for Frank [Williams] this coming year.

"He's done a phenomenal job. At the moment he's doing too good of a job because he's quicker than Alain [Prost] and that could be a problem."

Hill himself won the BBC SPOTY award on two separate occasions. The first came in 1994, after he had been beaten by Michael Schumacher to the drivers' championship but had helped Williams win the constructors' championship in what had been been a tragic season for the team, with Hill's team-mate Ayrton Senna losing his life at that season's San Marino Grand Prix.

Hill then won the award in 1996 after his championship victory, and would be the final F1 driver to win BBC SPOTY until one Lewis Hamilton in 2014.

Hamilton missed out on the award after his first championship victory in 2008 due to it being an Olympic year, with Chris Hoy claiming that year's BBC SPOTY.

But Hamilton's second title in 2014 with Mercedes saw him crowned BBC SPOTY champion for the first time, beating McIlroy, before he was also then honoured in 2020 after winning his record-equalling seventh drivers' championship.

Driver	Year(s) won BBC Sports Personality of the Year
John Surtees	1959
Stirling Moss	1961
Jackie Stewart	1973
Nigel Mansell	1986, 1992
Damon Hill	1994, 1996
Lewis Hamilton	2014, 2020

What is BBC Sports Personality of the Year?

The BBC SPOTY award celebrates British sporting stars who have achieved success throughout the year, or who have made a crucial contribution to sport in general.

It has been going since 1954, when long distance runner Christopher Chataway won the inaugural award.

Other previous winners of the award include some huge names such as David Beckham, Paula Radcliffe, Andrew Flintoff and Andy Murray.

When is BBC Sports Personality of the Year?

This year, the awards ceremony takes place on Thursday December 18, live from Media City in Salford, and it will be on BBC One.

Who will win 2025 BBC SPOTY?

Here are the latest odds for the 2025 BBC SPOTY award, via Oddschecker.

Name	Betting Odds
Rory McIlroy	3/5
Lando Norris	10/3
Chloe Kelly	8/1
Luke Littler	18/1
Ellie Kildunne	66/1
Hannah Hampton	100/1

Written by

Sam Cook - Digital Journalist

Sam Cook is a talented young sports journalist and social media professional who now specialises in Formula 1, having previously worked as a football journalist and a local news reporter for a variety of different brands.

View full biography

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