The BBC will not announce their shortlist for Sports Personality of the Year until next week — boosting Lewis Hamilton’s chances of winning the award for a third time.
The nominees are typically named during the first week of December or last week in November.
Sportsmail has learned that candidates will be announced during the Salford live broadcast on December 19.
Lewis Hamilton won the prize for 2020, while this year’s finalists will be revealed next week.
On Sunday, the final F1 race will take place in Abu Dhabi. Hamilton is level with Red Bull’s rival Max Verstappen.
Hamilton won the title of SPOTY in 2014 and 2015. If he can win a world record eight title, he will surpass Michael Schumacher and be considered a major contender.
Emma Raducanu is odds-on bookies’ favourite to become the first female winner of SPOTY since equestrian rider Zara Phillips in 2006 after her victory at the US Open aged 18.
The BBC plans to expand the shortlist, which was previously limited to six nominees in each of the previous three years. The BBC named a 12 person shortlist after London 2012 and 16 for Rio 2016.
Emma Raducanu could be the first woman to win SPOTY since 2006.
After the golds at Tokyo, Tom Daley and Adam Peaty as well as Paralympian Lady Sarah Storey will likely be added.
Mark Cavendish — 2011’s SPOTY — is set to be shortlisted after his four Tour de France stage wins saw him match Eddy Merckx’s record of 34.
If Tyson Fury is named as the candidate to knock out Deontay wilder and retain his WBC title as world heavyweight champion, then they can expect another backlash by the BBC.
Last year, Fury asked to be removed from the shortlist saying he did not need ‘verification’ from awards. To the delight of everyone involved, Fury’s demands were not met by the BBC. However, the BBC did vote the boxer out of the top three.
Tyson Fury threatens legal action to prevent him from being included on the Sports Personality of the Years list