Richard Hammond reveals why he thinks Freddie Flintoff's crash does not mean the end of Top Gear

Top Gear was halted last year after Preston born presenter Freddie Flintoff, 46, suffered a horrifying crash whilst filming an episode of the programme in December 2022.

The BBC officially announced they were "rest[ing] the UK show for the foreseeable future" in November 2023 but Richard Hammond - who fronted the show between 2002 and 2015 alongside Jeremy Clarkson and James May - has recently spoken about how he does not think Freddie's crash really means the end of Top Gear.

In an interview with the Daily Star over the weekend, 54-year-old Richard said: “I have no doubt Top Gear will come back, probably quite soon. It’s been on air before, then it’s come off and they rest it a bit and then they brought it back.

"That’ll happen again. It’s not the end. It’s a BBC brand.”

In a seperate interview with Radio Times, Richard even hinted at how he thinks Top Gear may be in the future when he was faced with a question about the future of driving programmes.

Richard currently host the Amazon's The Grand Tour, also alongside Jeremey and James, but it was last year announced that their upcoming episode will be the show's penultimate instalment, with the following Zimbabwe special marking the end of the Amazon Prime Video favourite.

When asked by Radio Times if the the disappearance of both the Grand Tour and Top Gear signalled the end of the road for driving shows, Richard replied: “I very much doubt it. Top Gear was on hiatus when we took it on so it’ll come back one day, although in what shape I don’t know.

“The decision to buy our next car is probably the most significant contribution we can make, as individuals, to the future, so we need to be informed. Maybe that’s the route it could take?”

He continued: “As for shows like The Grand Tour, I don’t think the human desire for adventure is ever going to be sated. It’ll continue in different forms, modified to suit its time.