Richard Hammond has spoken about his daughter Izzy's motorsport career, admitting he feels 'a little uncomfortable' watching her race but insisting he won't hold her back. The 56-year-old former Top Gear presenter was speaking after Izzy, 25, crashed a Formula E car into a wall in Jeddah earlier this year, emerging unscathed.
Father's fears and pride
'It's a little uncomfortable because I know from personal experience that things can and do go wrong,' Hammond told the Metro. 'I'm a father, like any other father. I don't want to see my little girl hurt, but I don't want to hold her back from opportunities that present themselves. She's carving her own career, so I can sit back and watch her do that and only applaud.'
Hammond's own near-fatal crash came in 2006 when he crashed a jet car at almost 300mph while filming Top Gear. That history is pertinent to his return to The Grand Tour alongside Jeremy Clarkson and James May, after the trio handed the keys to new hosts James Engelsman, Thomas Holland and Francis Bourgeois.
Grand Tour cameo and new hosts
Amazon Prime Video has shared details about the upcoming season, with Hammond set to feature on a Wales jaunt to test cars, since he 'knows a thing or two about crashing'. However, Hammond was tight-lipped about the cameo, saying only: 'We might pass through fleetingly, yes.' When pressed for more, he joked: 'No I'd be shot immediately. I'd be dead. I can't be talking about that.'
He did wish the new hosts 'the very best with it', reiterating the sentiment three times. 'We had our time with it. That's great. That was our Grand Tour, but The Grand Tour can go on with other people doing it, and I wish them all the very best with it. Of course, I do,' he said.
Total Wipeout and Top Gear's legacy
Hammond also said he would likely agree to make more Total Wipeout, following the success of similar reboots like Gladiators. 'I probably would,' he said. 'I loved it. I enjoyed the singular lack of ambition of the show. It never wanted to be anything more than entertaining on a Saturday evening. If people wanted to go and do it, then good luck to him.'
On Top Gear, Hammond expressed a desire for the show to return to air, noting a lack of public knowledge about modern car technology. 'People don't know what's going on. I regularly talk to people in pubs now, and they've never heard of synthetic fuels,' he said, adding that there is room for car shows that look back at the car's history while also informing potential buyers. 'It's the second biggest buying decision many of us will make.'
Reflecting on the trio's enduring Top Gear legacy, Hammond said: 'It's really satisfying to have been part of a show that had that effect, that becomes that touchpoint for people. We never thought for a second that it would. We set out to make a car show all those years ago. It just grew into something that nobody foresaw, and I was really privileged to be a little part of that.'
Salon Privé and drinks ventures
Hammond is set to appear at Salon Privé this weekend at Blenheim Palace, where he will judge the Concours de Vente car competition. He described the event as a 'luxury motoring lifestyle event' and noted that Concours wins can contribute to a car's value. 'You can't just pick the one that you prefer the colour of. It does need some due consideration to be given,' he said.
He also acknowledged that all three Grand Tour presenters have launched their own drinks brands. 'My dear colleague James launched a gin, even though of the three of us, I'm the one that's always drunk the gin. Jeremy of course has his lager, which I have to admit, annoyingly, is really rather good,' he said, adding that drinks can be a 'great social communal thing'. Asked whose brand is best, he replied: 'Mine. Clearly.'
Salon Privé runs from September 2 to September 6.
