Overview

• Top Gear has been on indefinite hiatus since presenter Freddie Flintoff suffered a near-fatal crash during filming in December 2022
• Hammond told the Oxford Mail that the BBC often rests major series before bringing them back, suggesting the motoring show could reappear
• The former host fronted Top Gear from 2002 to 2015 and then reunited with Jeremy Clarkson and James May on Amazon’s The Grand Tour until its finale last year
• Media speculation points to potential new presenters such as YouTubers Thomas Holland and James Engelsman and social media personality Francis Bourgeois
• High-speed accidents including Flintoff’s 2022 crash and Hammond’s own 2006 dragster incident have shaped the show’s safety reviews and production decisions