Vettel, Red Bull in running for Laureus prizes

Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull Racing are among the nominees to win prestigious 2012 Laureus World Sports awards following their successes this year.

In the running alongside German Vettel to be hailed Sportsman of the Year are sprinter Usain Bolt, tennis’ Novak Djokovic, Tour de France winner Cadel Evans, football’s Lionel Messi and basketballer Kirk Nowitzki.

And fighting it out with Red Bull for the team prize are New Zealand’s All Blacks, England’s cricket team, basketball’s Dallas Mavericks, FC Barcelona and Japan’s female football team.

The nominees are selected by the world’s media by ballot, and the winners by a jury made up of 47 of the greatest sportsmen and women of all time.

The winners will be crowned in London in February.

"This has been a great year for sport and the academy are going to find it extremely difficult to decide who to vote for as winners," said chairman Edwin Moses.