Lando Norris New Second Favourite to Win BBC SPOTY 

The race for the 2025 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award has taken a fresh twist, with newly crowned F1 World Champion Lando Norris surging into contention following his dramatic title victory in Abu Dhabi.

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The McLaren star is now the 3/1 second favourite, marking a major shift in the market after months sitting behind Rory McIlroy and Chloe Kelly.

Norris had been available at 7/2 before lights out in the season finale, but once the Brit sealed his maiden Drivers’ Championship, punters rushed to back him for SPOTY. His performances across the season have clearly resonated with voters and bettors alike. With the award just around the corner, momentum may be swinging firmly in the McLaren man’s way.

At the top of the market, Rory McIlroy remains the frontrunner at 8/11, with his outstanding year on the course keeping him ahead of the competition. McIlroy has set the pace in this market for months, and despite Norris’ surge, the Northern Irishman still holds the strongest position heading into the final stretch.

Behind them, Chloe Kelly has drifted slightly to 7/2 but remains very much in the conversation. Her decisive penalty in the summer’s European Championship final had her trading at shorter odds earlier in the year, and she still retains strong levels of public support.

Outside the leading trio, Luke Littler (14/1) and Hannah Hampton (18/1) are considered the best of the rest, but both would need a strong late push in public backing to force their way into the main picture. With the ceremony getting closer, the market increasingly looks like a three-horse race, but Norris’ rapid rise ensures it’s far from settled.

Norris’ title win has also ignited early betting for next season’s Formula 1 championship. The newly crowned champion sits at 9/4 to defend his title, just behind favourite Max Verstappen, who opens at 2/1. The two drivers’ duel this season produced some of the most compelling racing in recent years, and the markets anticipate another fierce battle in 2026. George Russell (3/1) and Oscar Piastri (6/1) follow behind, making up a competitive leading pack as traders begin to sketch out next year’s title picture.

BBC SPOTY 2025 – Outright Betting 

• Rory McIlroy – 8/11

• Lando Norris – 3/1

• Chloe Kelly – 7/2

• Luke Littler – 14/1

• Hannah Hampton – 18/1

Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship 2026 

• Max Verstappen – 2/1

• Lando Norris – 9/4

• George Russell – 3/1

• Oscar Piastri – 6/1

• Andrea Kimi Antonelli – 10/1

Spokesperson for William Hill, Lee Phelps, said: “With Lando Norris securing his first F1 Drivers’ Championship, the McLaren man has shortened in the betting for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

“He was as big as 7/2 prior to the final race in Abu Dhabi but was quickly cut to 3/1 in the aftermath of his championship victory, with now just Rory McIlroy ahead of him in the betting at 8/11.

“Chloe Kelly remains in the running at 7/2 after her summer heroics in the Euros, whilst Luke Littler (14/1) and Hannah Hampton (18/1) are in contention at bigger prices.

“Norris pipped Max Verstappen to the title in Abu Dhabi, and a close-run battle for the 2026 Drivers’ Championship is already anticipated, with Norris narrowly behind favourite Verstappen (2/1) in the market at this stage at 9/4.”

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