What is it about BBC viewers and motor racing?

Ever since the Sports Personality of the Year first got underway in 1954, stars such as John Surtees, Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart and both Damon Hill and Nigel Mansell (twice), have lifted that famous outside broadcasting television camera replica. No other sport can match that and only boxer Henry Cooper has also managed two wins.

Hardly surprising then to see Jenson Button hot-favourite at 4-7 to earn the public vote following his F1 world title triumph, even though he did very little in the second part of the year.

He is champion and Stirling Moss and Damon Hill with their first wins, were not world beaters in 1961 and 1994 although Hill was when honoured in 1996 as champion.

Realistically, there is not much competition against Button in the 10 nominees as determined by the sports editors of 36 titles including Nuts and Zoo along with a number of free sheets — but no Racing Post which covers the broadest spectrum of sport.

Ryan Giggs has been included and there are rumours that there will be a run of support for him from Man United fans.

In my view the most deserving is world heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis who missed the Olympics because of injury and bounced back in Berlin to take gold and establish herself as number one heptathlete in the word.

BBC Sports Personality betting: 4-7 J Button; 4-1 J Ennis; 5-1 D Haye; 14-1 R Giggs; 16-1 A Strauss; 50-1 B Tweddle; 100-1 M Cavendish; 100-1 T Daley; 125-1 A Murray; 150-1 P Idowu.