Verstappen receives BBC SPOTY World Sports Star nomination

Max Verstappen has been nominated for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year World Sports Star award with the winner to be announced later this month.

Public voting has opened to fans to name their World Sports Star of the year winner with Verstappen receiving the nod for his performances during his fierce battle with Lewis Hamilton in this year's F1 championship.

The nominees were announced on Monday morning after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in which Verstappen was handed two time penalties after numerous clashes with Hamilton.

The other five personalities nominated alongside Verstappen include the first undisputed super-middleweight boxing champion, Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez and the first female winner of the Grand National, Rachael Blackmore.

Seven-time Superbowl winner Tom Brady, tennis superstar Novak Djokovic and Elaine Thompson-Herah, the first woman to complete the Olympic sprint 'double double' with golds in the 100m and 200m events, complete the list of nominees.

The most recent F1 driver to win the award was Sebastian Vettel in 2013, the award then named the Overseas Sports Personality of the Year, after he clinched the last of his back to back streak of four world titles.

Nominees for the main award are yet to be announced although it would come as a surprise if Hamilton, who has been nominated on eight occasions and crowned twice including at last year's ceremony, were not to feature on the shortlist.

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