Grapevine: F1 champions lose out to Federer

Tennis number one Roger Federer was named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year for the third year in a row, beating seven-time champion Michael Schumacher and double champion Fernando Alonso.

The 25-year-old Swiss became the first sportsman to receive the award on three occasions, making off with it once again for his continued domination of men's tennis in 2006.

Russia's record-breaking pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva won the award for World Sportswoman of the Year, while the team of the year award went to the Italian football side for their World Cup triumph.

The Renault F1 team were nominated for the award.

Tennis was the big winner at the awards ceremony with American Serena Williams taking the comeback of the year award.

The breakthrough prize, for which McLaren's Lewis Hamilton was nominated, went to tennis player Amelie Mauresmo of France following her first two grand slam titles.

Barcelona Football Club were given the Spirit of Sport award for their support of UNICEF and former Germany captain Franz Beckenbauer took the lifetime achievement award.

Federer, who has finished as world number one in each of the three years he has won the Laureus award, chalked up three more grand slam titles for the second time in three years

His triumphs at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open were accompanied by victories in four ATP Masters Series events for the second successive season.

Federer, whose victory in the 2007 Australian Open took his grand slam tally to 10, was also the first player since the Open era began in 1968 to win at least 10 titles in three consecutive years.

German mono-skier Martin Braxenthaler took the award for the sportsperson with a disability after winning gold medals in three of the four Alpine skiing disciplines at the Paralympic Winter Games in Turin.