Ash Sutton secured a record-breaking fifth British Touring Car Championship title at Silverstone on Sunday, yet bookmakers are not even offering odds for him to be in the running for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award this year.
Sutton, who is not a household name given the diminished attention on the BTCC, stormed from 12th on the grid to win race two at Silverstone to clinch the crown. The achievement makes him the series' most decorated driver ever.
An extraordinary achievement overlooked
In global motorsport, only the F1 world championship and NASCAR are older than the BTCC. Sutton's fifth title is an extraordinary achievement, yet his name does not appear on the odds lists provided by several major betting companies, even at odds of 250/1 and longer.
By contrast, Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are all being given odds for the SPOTY prize. All are superb drivers and great people, but only Russell should be anywhere near the conversation, and that is only if he builds on his Azerbaijan Grand Prix win and completes a remarkable late-season comeback to take the title.
Past snubs and this year's favourite
The BBC SPOTY award has seen some dreadful snubs in the past. Ronnie O'Sullivan did not make the six-person shortlist for the 2023 award despite his record-extending eighth UK Championship snooker title, and athletics star Josh Kerr was also overlooked that year. Mo Farah took until 2017 to get the gong, despite inspiring the nation at London 2012 and Rio 2016. Nigel Mansell's 1986 win was particularly odd given he finished second in that year's F1 standings, and Gary Lineker did not even make the top three despite being the top scorer at that summer's World Cup in Mexico.
Sutton won't, and probably shouldn't, win the gong this year. Sprinter Amy Hunt is the favourite to win it after four gold medals at the European Athletics Championships, and she would deserve it. Her strong public stance over the Sydney Sweeney advert which unnecessarily sexualised women in sport will also do her no harm.
A disappointing omission
The fact Sutton most likely won't be anywhere near the ceremony is incredibly disappointing. Unlike the way he secured his record-breaking fifth title, which was typically breathtaking.
