Hamilton and Mercedes nominated for Laureus World Sports Awards

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has been nominated for his fourth-straight Laureus World Sports Award, while his team, Mercedes, have been nominated for their seventh-consecutive Laureus Team Of the Year Award after clinching a seventh World Championship in 2020.

Hamilton, who was recently granted a knighthood, won the 2020 Sportsman of the Year Award alongside Lionel Messi and is up for the accolade again, this time against the likes of LA Lakers NBA legend Lebron James, tennis ace Rafael Nadal and Bayern Munich football star Robert Lewandowski.

Mercedes won the 2018 Team of the Year Award and have equally tough competition this year, with the likes of 2020 Superbowl winners Kansas City Chiefs, NBA champions LA Lakers and Champions League winners Bayern Munich all up for the accolade. The Silver Arrows have had seven nominations since 2015.

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"It's an honour to have been nominated for Laureus World Sportsman of the Year alongside some truly incredible athletes," said Hamilton on the nomination. "When I look back at the award ceremony last year, it's hard to believe just how much has changed. 2020 was a difficult year for so many people, for many different reasons and of course the world of sport was hugely affected.

"I was fortunate enough to be able to race and I'm so proud of what we, as a team, were able to achieve together. I'm even prouder of the journey we began towards making the motorsport industry more diverse and inclusive. Nelson Mandela was the inspiration behind Laureus and I'm sure he would support everything we can do to use sport to achieve a greater good."

Laureus was founded in 2000 by current Mercedes head and Daimler Chairman Ola Kallenius, and South African businessman Johann Rupert as an organisation that uses sports to change the world. It has a charitable arm in Laureus Sport for Good, and an annual awards ceremony, the Laureus World Sports Awards. Voting will open soon at Laureus.com.

Meanwhile, the 2021 Mercedes W12 is set to be launched on March 2 as Hamilton aims for a record-breaking eighth World Championship and Mercedes an eighth-consecutive title against the rising challenge of Red Bull, who launched their 2021 RB16B on Tuesday.