There was a bit of an upset in the predictions of bookmakers as 4/6 odds on favourite Rory McIlroy failed to land the 2014 SPOTY prize, beaten out by F1 driver Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton stormed his way to the second F1 Drivers World Championship title and just a few hours before the awards ceremony, he could have been snapped up at a nice price of 13/8.
The bookmakers like online betting site Ladbrokes had been firmly expecting that the public would be rewarding golfer Rory McIlroy for his exploits this year. The Northern Irish star landed back to back Majors at the The Open Championship and the US PGA Championship and was for a long time, installed as favourite in SPOTY betting. To be fair, it was a brilliant season from McIlroy, especially amid a host of personal problems, including a massive court case.
However, the nature of Hamilton’s F1 duel with his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg could have kept the driver at the fore of the public’s mind, especially going deeper into the calendar year. Hamilton put in some brilliant form over the second half of the season, winning six of the final seven races of the season (the only exception a second place finish).
Hamilton won 209,920 of the 620,932 votes cast for the 2014 Sports Personality of the Year, with McIlroy getting 123,745 (20%) and third placed athlete Jo Pavey taking 99,913 (16%).
Real Madrid’s Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo lead a close-run Overseas Sports Personality race, beating out world number one tennis player Novak Djokovic.
