Lewis Hamilton shares 2020 Laureus Sport Award with Lionel Messi

The pinnacle of motorsport has met with the top tier of football as Lewis Hamilton won the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award – shared with Barcelona FC’s Lionel Messi – on Monday night.

The six-time Formula 1 champion, gearing up to gun for for a record-equalling seventh title – split the honour with Messi, marking the first occasion that the award has been shared between two sportspersons.

Messi, who won a record sixth Ballon d’Or in 2019, made his 700th appearance for Barcelona and completed a 35th hat-trick for the Catalan club in 2019 – an achievement that underlines just how incredible Hamilton’s six titles are.

His fellow nominees, apart from Messi, included six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez, 2019 Masters winner Tiger Woods, marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge and #1-ranked tennis star Rafael Nadal.

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Hamilton had never won World Sportsman of the Year previously, but this was his sixth nomination. From the world of Formula 1, Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher are the only other past winners. Mercedes were also nominated for Team of the Year but lost out to South Africa's rugby union squad

Don't count them out for next year though - with pre-season testing looming, the Silver Arrows gear up for a campaign that could see them capping off the turbo-hybrid era with another double championship…