Hamilton is BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2014

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton celebrates
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton celebrates

Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has been voted as the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2014.

The 29-year-old Mercedes driver won his second world title this season by taking 11 races. He won 34 percent of the vote, followed by Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy with 20 percent and athlete Jo Pavey third with 16 percent, reports Xinhua.

“I was sitting there saying Rory’s going to have it,” said Hamilton.

“I thought it had to be someone else. I want to say a huge thank you to all the people who called in, I really wasn’t expecting it,” he added.

“I feel like I’ve got another seven years in F1,” he told BBC Sport.

“That’s the goal. I got the first title in 2008 and now a second title, so the sky is the limit from here.”

He added: “I’ve just got to keep pushing.”

If Hamilton continues in the sport for another seven years, he will be 36.

Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen, 35, is currently the oldest driver in Formula 1, while Max Verstappen, 17, will be the youngest when he makes his debut with Toro Rosso next season.

Britain’s Jenson Button was this year on the verge of losing his drive, aged 34, before  securing a late deal to race once more to race Mclaren for next season.

Hamilton is one title behind his hero Ayrton Senna and trails Alain Prost by two. Juan Manuel Fangio is three clear, while Michael Schumacher holds the record with seven.

Last month, Hamilton claimed his second world title, six years after his first, with a dominant victory in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

It concluded a year-long battle with childhood friend and Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg which featured a number of heated episodes between the pair on and off the track.

Hamilton became only the fourth Briton to win two titles, joining Jim Clark and Graham Hill.