The 2022 BBC Sports activities Persona of the Yr is to be named on Wednesday night.
The annual award is given to a British athlete who’s deemed to have achieved probably the most in a given yr.
Whereas no System 1 drivers are among the many six-strong shortlist for the 2022 gong, the game has seen loads of winners because the award started life in 1954.
Together with the general award, System 1 has had winners of the Younger Sports activities Persona of the Yr (Jenson Button, 2000), Workforce of the Yr (Cooper, 1960 & BRM, 1962), in addition to World Sport Star of the Yr (Niki Lauda, 1977 & Sebastian Vettel, 2013).
RacingNews365.com takes a glance again by way of the archives at F1’s winners of the primary Sports activities Persona of the Yr award.
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1961 – Stirling Moss
Moss might by no means have received the F1 World Championship, however the Briton was the primary energetic F1 driver to be named Sports activities Persona of the Yr again in 1961.
That yr noticed Moss take one among his most well-known Grand Prix victories, when he hustled his comparatively under-powered Lotus 18 to victory across the streets of Monaco, beating the extra highly effective Ferraris of Richie Ginther, Phil Hill and Wolfgang von Journeys.
Moss additionally took a powerful win in changeable situations on the German Grand Prix across the fearsome 14-mile Nurburgring, occurring to complete third within the Drivers’ Championship in what could be his ultimate season of Grand Prix racing.
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1973 – Jackie Stewart
F1’s subsequent Sports activities Persona of the Yr was Jackie Stewart in 1973. The Briton retired from racing on the finish of that yr having simply taken his third World Championship title, and had turn out to be a fierce advocate for improved security situations in F1.
Stewart’s tally of 27 Grand Prix wins stood as a report for 14 years earlier than it was toppled by Alain Prost in 1987, and the Scotsman additionally held the report for many wins by a British driver till Nigel Mansell took his twenty eighth
win on the 1992 British Grand Prix.
Following his retirement from aggressive racing, Stewart turned his hand to a media profession, serving for a few years as a commentator and presenter for a wide range of motor racing collection.
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1986, 1992 – Nigel Mansell
The primary F1 driver to be twice named Sports activities Persona of the Yr, Nigel Mansell’s first award got here on the finish of a 1986 season wherein he had seemed set to win his first World Championship title, just for a dramatic tyre blowout within the season finale at Adelaide to scupper his possibilities.
In 1992, nevertheless, Mansell wouldn’t be denied, as he cruised to his solely World Championship on the wheel of the all-conquering Williams FW14B, setting data for wins, pole positions and championship factors in a single season.
The Briton’s record-breaking yr additionally noticed him scoop his second SPOTY Award, earlier than he decamped to America for a brand new problem within the IndyCar collection.
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1994, 1996 – Damon Hill
F1’s subsequent Sports activities Persona of the Yr was additionally a two-time winner, with Damon Hill first profitable the award in 1994 after coming agonisingly near overhauling Michael Schumacher to that yr’s F1 title.
Having taken on larger management at Williams following the loss of life of Ayrton Senna, Hill helped the staff recuperate from that tragedy, and although he had a foul yr in 1995, the Briton duly received his solely World Championship title the next season, additionally gathering his second SPOTY award besides.
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2014, 2020 – Lewis Hamilton
No surprises for guessing the id of F1’s subsequent Sports activities Persona of the Yr. Lewis Hamilton first took the award in 2014 after having edged teammate Nico Rosberg to that yr’s Drivers’ Championship.
The Briton’s second SPOTY win got here on the finish of a 2020 season wherein he had equalled Michael Schumacher’s report of seven World Championship titles.
Although Hamilton’s tally of SPOTY wins doesn’t match his F1 title triumphs, the Briton has completed second within the BBC award on 4 extra events, doing so in 2007, 2008, 2017 and 2018.
Hamilton truly holds the all-time SPOTY report for many top-three placings with six.
Together with his two wins and 4 runner-up spots, he has a complete of six, yet one more than Snooker legend Steve Davis.
Hamilton is one among 4 to win the award two instances, with Mansell, Hill and Boxing icon Sir Henry Cooper.
Solely Tennis nice Sir Andy Murray has received the primary award extra typically, doing so 3 times.
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And one that would have been…
Whereas Moss was the primary athlete to win Sports activities Persona of the Yr due to his achievements in F1, he’s not the primary F1 driver to win the award.
That honour goes as an alternative to John Surtees, who received the 1959 award after romping to title glory in that yr’s Grand Prix motorbike racing season.
The Briton made the change from bikes to automobiles throughout 1960, and in 1964 grew to become the primary man to win World Championships on each two and 4 wheels.