Hamilton wins Sports Personality award

Lewis Hamilton has been voted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2014.

The 29-year-old Mercedes driver won his second Formula 1 world title this season and joined an exclusive club by becoming the fourth Briton to win the drivers' championship at least twice.

Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy was runner-up, with athlete Jo Pavey third.

"I was sitting there saying Rory's going to have it," said Hamilton, who earned 34% of the vote. "I thought it had to be someone else."

The Englishman won 209,920 of the 620,932 votes cast, with McIlroy getting 123,745 (20%) and Pavey 99,913 (16%).

"I want to say a huge thank you to all the people who called in, I really wasn't expecting it," he added.

"I am so speechless. I'm so proud and honoured to be among such great sporting talent."

Hamilton was runner-up to boxer Joe Calzaghe in 2007 and Sir Chris Hoy the following year.

Having arrived at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow with his dog, Roscoe, he was presented with the trophy by former Scotland player and Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish after his name was announced by former England rugby player Jonny Wilkinson in front of a 12,000-strong audience.

The venue, which hosted netball, boxing and gymnastics during the Commonwealth Games last summer, was chosen in the year that Scotland hosted the Commonwealth Games and golf's Ryder Cup at Gleneagles.

The votes Lewis Hamilton - F1 - 209,920 Lizzy Yarnold - skeleton - 23,188 Rory McIlroy - golf - 123,745 Max Whitlock - gymnastics - 17,219 Jo Pavey - athletics - 99,913 Gareth Bale - football - 13,747 Charlotte Dujardin - dressage - 75,814 Carl Froch - boxing - 11,616 Kelly Gallagher & Charlotte Evans - skiing - 35,871 Adam Peaty - swimming - 9,899 Total votes cast - 620,932

Hamilton becomes the fifth racing driver to win the award in its 61-year history, with Damon Hill ('94 & '96) and Nigel Mansell ('86 & '92) triumphing on two occasions and Stirling Moss ('61) and Sir Jackie Stewart ('73) claiming the prize once.

Meanwhile, Paul McGinley capped a triumphant 2014 for golf by winning the Coach of the Year award.

The Irishman, who is 48 on Tuesday, oversaw a 16½-11½ win over the United States at Gleneagles in September.

However, his European side were beaten to the Team of the Year prize by England's women rugby players, who beat Canada 21-9 in Paris to claim the World Cup for the first time since 1994.

The other winners were:

Overseas Sports Personality of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo. The 29-year-old Portuguese forward was named world player of the year 11 months ago and scored as Real Madrid won the Champions League in May.

Young Sports Personality of the Year: Claudia Fragapane. The 17-year-old gymnast became the first British woman in 84 years to win four gold medals at one Commonwealth Games.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Six-time Olympic gold medal-winner Sir Chris Hoy was honoured in his home country.

Helen Rollason Award: The Invictus Games competitors were presented with the trophy by Prince Harry.

Sport's Unsung Hero: Jill Stidever won the award after spending nearly 60 years teaching thousands of children with special needs to swim.

Hamilton's F1 title triumph came after a titanic, season-long struggle with team-mate Nico Rosberg in the dominant Mercedes cars.

Victory in the final race of the campaign in Abu Dhabi secured the crown for the Englishman, who took the lead at the start and controlled the race as Rosberg suffered car trouble and finished 14th.

The team also wrapped up the constructors' championship after a record-breaking season.

It is six seasons since Hamilton's only previous World Championship victory, when he won in dramatic fashion on the last lap of the Brazilian Grand Prix.

He is now Formula 1's most successful British driver with 33 victories - two more than double Sports Personality winner Mansell.

"I could not have done this without my amazing team, my family, my dad who once had four jobs to help me, my brother - I've been incredibly inspired by them," added Hamilton.

"Thank you to all the fans. I always say we win and lose together because I feel your love. I hope I will continue to make you proud."

Last 10 winners 2013: Andy Murray (tennis) 2012: Sir Bradley Wiggins (cycling) 2011: Mark Cavendish (cycling) 2010: AP McCoy (horse racing) 2009: Ryan Giggs (football) 2008: Sir Chris Hoy (cycling) 2007: Joe Calzaghe (boxing) 2006: Zara Phillips (equestrian) 2005: Andrew Flintoff (cricket) 2004: Dame Kelly Holmes (athletics) All the award winners

Runner-up McIlroy, who was also shortlisted in 2011 and 2012, was aiming to become just the the third golfer to win the award in its 61-year history, following Welshman Dai Rees in 1957, and Sir Nick Faldo 25 years ago.

The man from Holywood in County Down clinched his first Open Championship with a two-shot victory at Hoylake in July.

Then, three weeks later, he edged a gripping US PGA Championship in near darkness at Valhalla to become the first UK player to win consecutive majors and the third youngest player of the modern era - after Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus - to win four majors.

Sandwiched between those wins came victory at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational and they were soon followed by success at the Ryder Cup, when McIlroy earned three points.

Pavey, meanwhile, was third after becoming the oldest-ever female European athletics champion at the age of 40 years and 325 days.

The Devon athlete won the 10,000m title in Zurich 10 days after winning bronze in the 5,000m at the Commonwealth Games.

She only returned to the track in May, eight months after giving birth to her second child, when she won British 10,000m Championship.

"Someone gave me the third place envelope. I can't believe I was on the same stage as Lewis Hamilton and Rory McIlroy," she said.

Hamilton, centre, beat Pavey and McIlroy to first place

"Dude, you had such an amazing year," Hamilton told second-place McIlroy after collecting his award

Hamilton won 11 races in the 2014 season

Hamilton has now won a record 33 Formula 1 races

BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2015 is broadcast live from Belfast on Sunday, 20 December from 19:00 GMT on BBC One. Further coverage on BBC Sport's online platforms and Radio 5 live.