grand tour electric car crash

Richard Hammond Explains How He Crashed The Rimac Concept One

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

By now, Richard Hammond's recent crash in the Rimac Concept One that left him hospitalized with a fractured knee has been well-documented. While filming for the second series of The Grand Tour, the presenter was tearing around a hill climb circuit in Switzerland when he lost control of the electric supercar and rolled down a hill. Sitting down with Rimac's CEO Mate Rimac, Hammond has provided his most detailed account of the accident yet in an extended interview posted on DriveTribe.

During their fifth day of filming a comparison between the Lamborghini Aventador S, Acura NSX and Rimac Concept One , Hammond attempted one final run up the hill climb course. The back end stepped out after just crossing the finish line, causing him to lose control and roll the Rimac down the hillside, miraculously missing three houses on the way down. As it rolled, the car dug huge craters into the ground before coming to a stop upside down after rolling 110 meters, as shown in photos shared by Rimac taken from the scene. Rimac offered a simple explanation why Hammond crashed: he approached the corner too fast, which caused the torque vectoring system to send the car into oversteer.

Hammond was baffled by this explanation however, as he claimed the car was understeering in the four previous runs prior to the accident. He was wearing a helmet, but no racing harness. Unlike his jet-powered drag car crash in 2006 while filming for Top Gear, he was conscious throughout the entire crash in the Rimac. "I was aware that I was up high, and that inevitably the car was going to come down," he recalled. "And yeah of course there was a moment of dread - 'Oh God, I'm going to die'. And also I was aware that the car was taking just such a beating. If you look at those craters, that's a big hole that's just impact and it looks like the thing has been dropped from space to leave a hole that big.

So yeah I was probably going 'well this is it'. In fact that is what was going through my mind. I thought 'I've had it'." Soon after telling the emergency team to drag him out of the car by his hands because he thought he had broken his leg, the car burst into flames. Rimac believed the Concept One held up well, but will be using data from the crash to investigate ways to prevent a fire from happening in the future. Only eight examples of the Rimac Concept One were built, but there are now only seven left so it's even more exclusive. Worse still, the car Hammond destroyed was a customer example.

One consolation is that you'll still get to see the Rimac Concept One appear in second series of The Grand Tour, as filming had already wrapped up before the crash. We'll be riding shotgun as it tackles the Goodwood hillclimb on Friday, so we'll let you know how that goes!

rimac automobili

Richard hammond crashed a $1 million rimac concept_one all-electric supercar.

While filming the second season of the Amazon Prime’s The Grand Tour in Switzerland earlier today, ex-Top Gear host Richard Hammond crashed a $1 million Rimac Concept_One all-electric supercar.

Fortunately, Hammond reportedly “suffered no serious injury”, but the rare vehicle was completely destroyed. 

The show issued a statement about the accident:

“Richard Hammond was involved in a serious crash after completing the Hemburg Hill Climb in Switzerland in a Rimac Concept One, an electric supercar built in Croatia, during filming for the Grand Tour Season 2 on Amazon Prime, but very fortunately suffered no serious injury. Richard was conscious and talking, and climbed out of the car himself before the vehicle burst into flames. He was flown by Air Ambulance to the hospital in St Gallen to be checked over revealing a fracture to his knee. Nobody else was in the car or involved in the accident, and we’d like to thank the paramedics on site for their swift response. The cause of the crash is unknown and is being investigated.”

Hammond managed to get out right before the vehicle was completely destroyed by the fire:

It just made an already rare vehicle even rarer. Earlier this year, we were told by Rimac that they only plan to make 8 new units of the updated version of the Concept One , which appears to be the version that Hammond was driving for the show.

The vehicle was already a beast, but the upgrade with a new 90 kWh battery pack gave it a power increase by 100 kW to a total of 900 kW / 1224 hp which enables the Concept_One to reach 100 km/h in 2,5 seconds and 60 miles per hour in 2,4 seconds. 200 km/h are reached in 6 seconds while the 300 km/h mark falls after just 14 seconds.

After years as a popular car journalist, Hammond is used to driving powerful cars, but electric supercars can be something else with instant torque and regenerative braking.

An amateur video caught the last few seconds just before the crash down a hill:

It’s just my opinion, but it looks like maybe he got a little too confident in the Concept_One’s torque vectoring and regen braking going into that turn – so he had to apply the brakes for it.

Jeremy Clarkson, who witnessed the accident, described it as “the biggest and most frightening” accident he has seen:

It was the biggest crash I've ever seen and the most frightening but incredibly, and thankfully, Richard seems to be mostly OK. — Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) June 10, 2017

While it was probably a terrifying few seconds and a costly crash, it will likely make for a good episode of the Grand Tour.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Fred is the Editor in Chief and Main Writer at Electrek.

You can send tips on Twitter (DMs open) or via email: [email protected]

Through Zalkon.com, you can check out Fred’s portfolio and get monthly green stock investment ideas.

Fred Lambert's favorite gear

Zalkon Green Stock Ideas

Get interesting investment ideas by Fred Lambert

ChargePoint Home charger

ChargePoint Home WiFi Enabled Electric Vehicle (EV) Charger

Manage push notifications

Hammond's Rimac Crash (TGT)

The wreckage of Hammond's Rimac.

On the 10th of June, 2017, while filming for an episode of the second series of the Amazon Prime motoring show The Grand Tour , presenter Richard Hammond was involved in an accident while participating in a hill-climb event in Switzerland. Hammond was driving a Rimac Concept One supercar at the time. Unlike his Vampire Dragster crash a few years earlier, Hammond remained conscious during and after the accident. It was Hammond's second reported accident while filming for The Grand Tour, following a motorcycle accident in Mozambique.

Accident [ ]

On his fourth and final run of the hill-climb trail in St. Gallen, Switzerland, Hammond approached a corner carrying far too much speed to adequately brake his vehicle, causing the rear tyres of the Rimac to lose traction and slide the car off the track. The Rimac broke through a barrier on the corner and rolled over several times as it careened down the hill. It eventually came to a rest, upside-down, near the bottom. Hammond remained conscious during the accident and told first responders not to pull him out of the wreckage by his feet, as he thought he had broken his leg. Shortly after Hammond was removed from the Rimac, the wreckage burst into flames.

Aftermath [ ]

Hammond was immediately air-lifted (onboard an Agusta-Westland AW109 HB-ZRZ) to the St. Gallen hospital, where doctors assessed that he had fractured his knee and required a brace. Hammond remained in hospital for six days, before leaving on the 16th of June, 2017 on a jet bound for his home in the U.K. Hammond was able to drive again on the 12th of August, 2017, a little over two months after his accident.

Organisers of the hill-climb event in Switzerland were fined five-thousand dollars and the event's director and three stewards were suspended for six months for being in violation of international FIA rules and regulations.

Footage of the incident made its way to YouTube on the day of his accident. This footage aired as part of The Grand Tour's second season premiere . Though the production crew themselves were unable to capture footage, as Hammond crashed past the hill-climb's finishing line, audio from Hammond's onboard cameras, which were destroyed in the accident, was collected. This audio was dubbed over the YouTube footage for the episode. The Grand Tour team did, however, filmed much of the aftermath, including footage of the Rimac's burning wreckage and Hammond himself being airlifted to hospital.

Hammond's accident has been a consistent source of mockery in The Grand Tour's second and third season, with May and Clarkson mocking Hammond for not being able to drive, buying him Christmas presents such as velcro trousers and an upside-down toy car, and forcing him to compete in the race to Niagara Falls on crutches. For future episodes such as " Motown Funk " and " Chinese Food for Thought ", Hammond's crash was brought up several times over.

When Rimac made the Concept_Two (later known as the Nevera), they included a fire extinguisher held by a leather strap with a humorous message that reads "In case of hill climb, extinguish fire", poking fun at Hammond's accident.

• 2 Hammond's Vampire Dragster Crash
• 3 Hammond's Rimac Crash (TGT)

• Entertainment
• The Grand Tour

Richard Hammond’s crash the best thing that happened to Rimac

Almost one year on from a spectacular crash that almost cost Richard Hammond his life, Rimac has revealed that the subsequent media attention they received helped improve sales of their all-electric Concept One supercar.

In case you missed it, Hammond spectacularly rolled one of the US$980,000 machines off a hillside at a Swiss Hillclimb event last year – in an accident which we’re pretty sure was his fault .

During the crash, the car rolled numerous times and came to a rest on its roof before bursting into flames. At just 5ft 7in, Hammond had plenty of headroom to not be seriously injured by the rolls, and with the help of bystanders was able to escape the wreckage before it was engulfed in fire.

This isn’t exactly the sort of press coverage which many automakers would wish for, but in a conversation with Autocar , Rimac’s head of sales Kreso Coric admitted that on the same day as Hammond’s accident, the company was able to sell three cars despite not having any plans to put it into production.

“The Concept One was called that because it was just a learning project,” Coric said. “We never meant to sell it. But the crash happened and we got lucky with that. We sold three cars that day. It was the best marketing ever.”

At the risk of sounding insensitive, Coric quickly added that the crash was “scary and serious” and that “it could have ended in a different way and we could have ended up needing a new job.”

Back in July, Hammond sat down with Rimac CEO Mate Rimac to discuss the incident on DRIVETRIBE . Speaking of the accident, Hammond said: “The last run of the day, at the top just over the finishing line… [the back end] got away from me and I went over the edge. There’s a slight right and a left, and as I went ’round the left the back end stepped away.”

Hammond’s Rimac managed to leave the road approximately 200 metres after the finish line, immediately following the right and left turns which you can see on the map above. The vehicle left the road sideways, travelling at approximately 130 km/h (80 mph).

Despite all of this visual evidence suggesting excess speed was a factor, at no point has Hammond ever admitted to going too fast, or forgetting to slow down after crossing the finish line – but James May alluded to this in the second episode of The Grand Tour Series 2. May said the reason they missed a train in the New York to Niagra Falls challenge was because Hammond “doesn’t know how to slow down when it says ‘finish’ across the road” . Yikes.

Luckily enough for Hammond though, Rimac’s next vehicle – the C_Two – will come fitted with a fire centre-mounted extinguisher as standard. In a clever easter egg aimed at Hammond, embossed on the leather strap holding it down are the words “In case of hillclimb, extinguish fire.”

Hammond seemed happy about the news. “I’m delighted. I’ve always wanted to have a real influence in car design,” he said. “And now I have.”

Wheeler Dealers: S15 E8 – Lancia Fulvia

Edd china set to star in yet another youtube series, related posts, ‘funeral for a ford’ – the grand tour series 3 episode 14 preview, ‘survival of the fattest’ – the grand tour series 3 episode 13 preview, ‘legends and luggage’ – the grand tour series 3 episode 12 preview, james may is our man in…japan, ‘sea to unsalty sea’ – the grand tour series 3 episode 11 preview, ‘the youth vote’ – the grand tour series 3 episode 10 preview.

You Sir are an absolute moron. Clearly you haven’t been to Croatia. Not many people would be proud to display their ignorance in a very open forum such as this is.

“in an accident which we’re pretty sure was his fault.”

his fault is that he sat down in third world country car with experimental torque vectoring system which gone haywire

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

‘The Grand Tour’ Host Richard Hammond Injured in ‘Serious’ Car Accident While Filming

“It was the biggest crash I’ve ever seen and the most frightening,” co-star Jeremy Clarkson says

Amazon’s “The Grand Tour” host Richard Hammond was involved in a “serious” car crash while filming in Switzerland, the series said on Saturday.

Fortunately, his injuries appear to be limited to a knee fracture. The car wasn’t so lucky.

“Richard Hammond was involved in a serious crash after completing the Hemburg Hill Climb in Switzerland in a Rimac Concept One, an electric super car built in Croatia, during filming for ‘The Grand Tour’ Season 2 on Amazon Prime Video, but very fortunately suffered no serious injury,” the series said in a statement. “Richard was conscious and talking, and climbed out of the car himself before the vehicle burst into flames. He was flown by Air Ambulance to hospital in St Gallen to be checked over revealing a fracture to his knee.”

“Nobody else was in the car or involved in the accident, and we’d like to thank the paramedics on site for their swift response,” the statement continued. “The cause of the crash is unknown and is being investigated.”

Here are a pair of photos showing what was left of the burned-out car:

Richard Hammond was involved in a serious crash, but very fortunately suffered no serious injury. pic.twitter.com/4Oib32IJvj — The Grand Tour (@thegrandtour) June 10, 2017

And here is “Grand Tour” co-host Jeremy Clarkson’s own take on what must have been a scary scene:

It was the biggest crash I've ever seen and the most frightening but incredibly, and thankfully, Richard seems to be mostly OK. — Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) June 10, 2017

Hammond, Clarkson and James May were the original hosts of “Top Gear.” Following Clarkson’s firing for punching a producer, the trio took their schtick over to Amazon.

• The Inventory
• Beyond Cars

Here's Why Richard Hammond's Big Crash Was In The First Episode Of The Grand Tour Season 2

Over the summer, we learned of some very scary news that Richard Hammond had crashed while driving the all-electric Rimac Concept One supercar during the filming of the second season of The Grand Tour . In addition to putting him in the hospital, the crash also threw a lot of The Grand Tour ’s filming schedule out of whack . They had to shuffle some stuff around to make everything fit, including the order of the episodes.

Suggested Reading

We were invited to attend the show’s premier last night in Brooklyn. There’s a full review of the first episode coming later, but during a quick Q&A session before the screening, the trio revealed that, for the sake of continuity, they were forced to air the Rimac crash episode first, since Hammond was in a cast for the rest of the shooting.

Indeed, you can see in certain preview clips that he’s on crutches.

As with everything that deals with time zones, the air date of Season 2 got a little muddled. Amazon told us that the show would air on Dec. 8, just not where. Turns out, it meant midnight on Dec. 8 in the UK, which means that we got to see it here in the U.S. last night. Check it out if you haven’t yet.

Related Content

Richard Hammond Crashes Once Again During Season 3 Hill Climb In China

Once again, Richard Hammond was involved in an accident during a Hill Climb. Thankfully, he wasn’t in a high powered all-electric car, but instead, a small Chinese, three-wheeled shoebox.

At the end of the sixth episode of The Grand Tour Season 3 , the trio aim to race up a tight and winding road. The car that does it in the shortest amount of time and suffering the least amount of damage wins. The road isn’t tarmacked however, so Clarkson pops a tyre. He did however complete what they’ve named the ‘hill climb’ faster than James, who took it very slowly but with no damage.

After Clarkson and May have completed the climb, Hammond begins. He’s however not driving the Cadillac he was driving for the majority of the episode because it broke down earlier in the show. What he’s left with is an unsightly three-wheeler. And as we all know from playing games like Forza and Top Gear’s segment on the Reliant Robin , three-wheelers aren’t overly stable.

The race quickly ends with Hammond flipping his vehicle. They make it out as if his vehicle actually fell off the side of the steep road, but we have a feeling that may have been a bit of camera trickery. The flip however, was not, as it can clearly be seen from the camera inside the car.

We’re sure his wife Mindy wasn’t so please about this after Hammond’s history of accidents, but it does look as if this was written into the script and therefore, a controlled situation. Let’s hope so, anyway.

Steven Douglas

The grand tour episode 6 trailer and overview, a comprehensive history of the wankel rotary engine, related articles.

A Bold Proposition: McLaren CEO Envisions Formula One’s Parity with “Two Sergios”

James May Bags Third Season Of Travel Show “Our Man In…” – Location Revealed

F1 Rumours: Lewis Hamilton Pegged For 5 To 10 Year Contract With Mercedes

Formula 1 Movie with Brad Pitt and Lewis Hamilton Remains on Track Amidst Hollywood Rumors

One comment.

Oh Lord again??? And why hill climb in a light 3 wheeled Chinese coffin???

• Pixel 9 review
• $1 million fine for Biden deepfake
• Best gadgets for college students
• iPhone 16: What to expect
• iPad drops to $199

Amazon star Richard Hammond involved in electric car crash (updated)

The 'grand tour' co-host thankfully wasn't seriously hurt..

It's a scary day for both The Grand Tour viewers and the motoring world at large. Amazon has revealed that show co-host Richard Hammond was involved in a crash while filming Grand Tour 's second season in Switzerland. Hammond thankfully escaped with only a fractured knee, but the incident destroyed the Rimac Concept One electric supercar he was driving (the photo above shows what's left). While it's not certain what led to the crash, Amazon notes that there was no one else embroiled in the incident.

It's not clear how the incident will affect the Prime Video show (we've asked for details). However, it's safe to say that any delays are far less important than Hammond's well-being. Fellow host Jeremy Clarkson notes that it was the "biggest crash I've ever seen," but adds that Hammond is "mostly OK."

For fans, the crash is going to trigger unpleasant flashbacks to Hammond's frightening crash during a Top Gear shoot in 2006. He suffered serious brain injuries after his Vampire drag racer blew a tire at high speed, flying off the track. While he eventually recovered, there's no question that the event was life-changing for the TV star. This is a mild wreck by comparison, but it underscores the dangers involved in pushing cars to their limits in the name of entertainment -- even something as relatively safe as an electric car.

Update 6/11: Video has emerged of the crash. While it's still unclear exactly what happened, the footage suggests that Hammond took a sharp turn too quickly, leading him to collide with a barrier and careen down a hill.

Richard Hammond was involved in a serious crash, but very fortunately suffered no serious injury. pic.twitter.com/4Oib32IJvj — The Grand Tour (@thegrandtour) June 10, 2017

It was the biggest crash I've ever seen and the most frightening but incredibly, and thankfully, Richard seems to be mostly OK. — Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) June 10, 2017

Latest Stories

Dc's antitrust case against amazon comes back to life.

An appeals court has revived an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon filed by the Attorney General of Washington, D.C. more than three years ago.

The first 22 seasons of Pokémon will return to streaming

The Pokémon Company has landed a distributor for a single-IP free ad-supported television channel that includes the first 22 seasons of the Pokémon anime series.

Google Essentials will house all Google services in a single Windows app

Google's new Essentials app will offer quick access to some of its most popular services like Driver, Calendar and Photos.

Cruise's self-driving cabs are coming to Uber next year

Uber and Cruise have reached a deal that would add driverless vehicles to the ride sharing giant's fleet of vehicles.

First trailer for Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim shows an anime-styled Middle-earth

The first trailer for an anime-style Lord of the Rings film called The War of the Rohirrim is here.

The Epic Games Store's latest freebies are The Callisto Protocol and the revived MOBA Gigantic

The Epic Games store has a couple of notable free games right now: The Callisto Protocol (a spiritual successor to Dead Space) and Gigantic (a fun MOBA/hero shooter hybrid).

DeepMind workers urge Google to drop military contracts

Google DeepMind workers wrote a letter to urge the company to drop military contracts. Over 200 employees signed the letter.

Don't freak out, but Nintendo is killing off Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp will cease to exist on November 28, but players' saves should be getting a new home.

Snap is reportedly working on a new pair of augmented reality Spectacles

Snap is getting ready to show off a new pair of augmented reality glasses, according to a new report.

How The Crush House turns procedural generation into social manipulation

The Crush House was a jumble of random dialogue and code for a long time before its procedural generation systems had enough information to produce a rational, powerful experience.

Peloton to ruin the secondhand market by charging a $95 ‘used equipment activation fee’

Peloton will now charge a $95 ‘used equipment activation fee’ to basically ruin the secondhand market. It doesn’t apply to refurbished models bought directly from the company.

The best couch co-op games for PC, Nintendo Switch, PS5 and Xbox

Here are 26 of the best couch co-op games we’ve played across the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox and PC.

Ring's new pan-and-tilt security camera drops to $60 in its first discount

Get a 360-degree view of your home while away.

Instagram copies... Myspace?

You can attach a 30 second song clip to your profile.

Google Pixel 9 review: The go-to Android smartphone

Thanks to a slick new design, improved software, upgraded cameras and a vibrant display, the Pixel 9 is the true Android phone to beat.

Neuralink says it may have fixed its brain implant problem

Neuralink has published an update on the second patient in its early human trials, and it said that "promisingly," it has "observed no thread retraction" in the participant.

British tech billionaire Mike Lynch confirmed dead after yacht sinking

The super-yacht sunk off the coast of Sicily early Monday.

The best Xbox games for 2024

Here's a list of the best games for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, as chosen by Engadget editors.

FCC fines telecoms operator $1 million for transmitting Biden deepfake

The deepfake discouraged voting in the New Hampshire primary election.

The Morning After: Our verdict on the Pixel 9 Pro and XL

The biggest news stories this morning: Are the new Pixel 9 Pro models any good? And why is Ford axing new EV models.

Richard Hammond car crash: Live updates after star injured as supercar slides off mountain while filming The Grand Tour

The ex-Top Gear star was airlifted to hospital after what Jeremy Clarkson called the "most frightening" crash he had ever seen when his 220mph supercar plunged 100ft down a hill before landing upside down and bursting into flames

• Photos of charred supercar following crash 17:54
• Jeremy Clarkson says crash was "biggest" he's ever seen 17:38
• Dramatic footage shows moment Hammond crashes car 17:35
• Hammond escapes serious injury in fiery crash 17:28
• Smiling Hammond poses for selfie with fan just before horror crash 17:18
• Updated 15:09, 11 Jun 2017

Former Top Gear star Richard Hammond has been airlifted to hospital after cheating death in a fiery car crash in a Swiss mountain race.

Hammond, 47, escaped serious injury when the supercar he was driving crashed on a road that was closed for the Bergrennen Hemberg race.

A spokesperson says Hammond was conscious and talking after crashing and climbed out of the Rimac Concept One electric car before it exploded into flames.

He was taken to hospital by air ambulance and treated for a fractured knee. Moments before the horror crash he smiled while posing for a selfie with a fan .

His Grand Tour co-stars Jeremy Clarkson and James May described the crash as "like a bomb going off” and were said to have ran to the crash scene believing Hammond "was dead".

Photos showed the wrecked car upside down and on a hillside in the canton of St. Gallen before the blaze was extinguished by firefighters.

Hammond was filming scenes for the Amazon programme The Grand Tour along with ex-Top Gear co-stars Jeremy Clarkson and James May.

Afterwards, Clarkson called it the "biggest" and "most frightening" car crash had had ever witnessed.

As news of his crash emerged, Facebook users slammed a vile troll , who claims to be an NHS worker, after she apparently commented on the social media site that she 'hopes Hammond dies'.

The woman later claimed her account had been accessed by hackers who posted the comment.

F1 presenter Sasha Martinengo revealed on Sunday that Mr Hammond broke his leg and needs knee surgery but added he "is fine".

Hammond later joked "I'm not dead" as he apologised to his family in video taken from his Swiss hospital room.

Follow our live blog for updates.

Richard Hammond's message to fans from hospital bed

Hammond reassured fans in a video taken from his hospital room.

The Grand Tour star is recovering in Switzerland after the 220mph supercar he was driving flipped off the road and burst into flames.

He joked he would receive a “Swiss Army knee” as it emerged he needed surgery and apologised to his wife and children.

And he also thanked his co-star James May for smuggling in a bottle of gin to his room.

Hammond tells fans 'I'm not dead' as he apologises to family over horror crash

Richard Hammond joked “I’m not dead” from his Swiss hospital bed as he apologised to his family over his horror car crash.

Footage showed him visited by Grand Tour co-host James May, who held up a book next to his friend titled The Idiot Brain.

Richard showed fans his X-rays, which detail the injuries he sustained when his 220mph Rimac car flipped off the road and crashed before bursting into flames.

And he joked he was getting “a Swiss Army knee” after it emerged the 47-year-old had broken his leg and requires surgery on his knee - an operation his friend the F1 presenter Sasha Martinengo said he might fly home to the UK for.

The Grand Tour presenter is lucky to be alive after he escaped from the burning wreckage of his car while filming in Switzerland - desperately crawling from the flames on a broken leg.

NHS worker slammed for 'hope he dies' Facebook post says her account was hacked

The NHS worker slammed after a Facebook post which appeared to say she ‘hopes Richard Hammond dies’ has claimed hackers accessed her account and posted the comment.

Cheryl Anne Phillips, a Bristol-based technician, is adamant she did not write the post and has urged people to believe her.

She wrote in an email to The Bristol Post: “I am writing to you regarding a statement that was made on my Facebook account regarding Richard Hammond.

“I can assure you and everyone else that I did not write this.

“The fact that someone has hacked my account and written such a comment has sickened and upset me as well as the comment and threats I have received because of it.

“Please believe me I did not do this.”

Friend of Richard Hammond reveals Grand Tour star "is fine" and may fly home for surgey

A friend of Richard Hammond has said the Grand Tour star “is fine” and may fly home for surgery .

F1 presenter Sasha Martinengo tweeted: “Hi all. Got a msg from @Richard Hammond. He is fine. He has a broken leg and needs knee surgery. He might fly home for the procedure.”

It came as telly stars Jeremy Clarkson and James May told how they watched in fear as Richard Hammond crashed another supercar.

His 220mph motor plunged 100ft down a hill, narrowly missing a house, and flipped several times before landing upside down and bursting into flames.

The pair ran to the scene believing their longtime telly pal “was dead”.

Richard Hammond's history of living dangerously

Richard Hammond has survived yet another close call after being airlifted to hospital when he slid a million-dollar electric supercar off a Swiss mountain road.

The former Top Gear star suffered a fractured knee in the crash during the Bergrennen Hemberg race while filming for his new series, The Grand Tour.

He climbed out of the car himself shortly before it burst into flames, according to a statement from the programme’s producers.

But this is not the first time the diminutive star has diced with death after getting into numerous scrapes over the years.

Here we look back at The Hamster’s uncanny ability to get back behind the wheel .

"If Richard had been a few seconds slower getting out, he would have been incinerated"

Speaking exclusively to the Sunday Mirror, the show’s executive producer Andy Wilman said: “Jeremy and James both raced down to the scene of the crash as soon as it happened. When they saw the wreckage on fire they thought Richard was dead. It was really bad.

“They were staggered he had got out of it alive, because there was just nothing left. Everyone is so relieved. If Richard had been a few seconds slower getting out, he would have been incinerated.”

Dramatic bystander footage shows moment of crash

Dramatic footage captured the ­terrifying moments the Rimac swerved to the right during a hill climb in Lucerne – 30 miles south of Zurich.

As Hammond approached a tight bend he appeared to lose control and the vehicle careered off the road.

First concern from hospital bed was wife Mindy

Medics airlifted the former Top Gear star to hospital in Switzerland where doctors discovered he had suffered a fractured knee but no other serious injuries.

One of the first things the father of two did was phone his wife Mindy from his hospital bed to let her know he was OK.

"The biggest crash I've ever seen... and the most frightening"

Statement from the grand tour.

A spokesman for The Grand Tour said: “Richard Hammond was involved in a serious crash after completing the Hemburg Hill Climb in Switzerland in a Rimac Concept One, an electric super car built in Croatia, during filming for The Grand Tour Season 2 on Amazon Prime, but very fortunately suffered no serious injury.

“Richard was conscious and talking, and climbed out of the car himself before the vehicle burst into flames.

“He was flown by Air Ambulance to hospital in St Gallen to be checked over, revealing a fracture to his knee.

“Nobody else was in the car or involved in the accident, and we’d like to thank the paramedics on site for their swift response.

“The cause of the crash is unknown and is being investigated.”

Clarkson tweeted: “It was the biggest crash I’ve ever seen and the most frightening but incredibly, and thankfully, Richard seems to be mostly OK.”

The Grand Tour’s executive producer Andy Wilman has revealed just how lucky Hammond was to escape the car before it burst into flames.

He told the Sunday Mirror: “Everyone is so relieved. If Richard had been a few seconds slower getting out, he would have been incinerated.”

Wilman also revealed that he has spoken to the presenter since the accident and the 47-year-old’s main concern was his wife and family.

He said: “I spoke to Richard at the hospital and although he was very shaken, he was conscious and quite lucid. He has had X-rays and a CT scan and is being kept in for observation by the doctors.

“All he said about his injuries was that his knee hurt a lot, which I’m not surprised about as it now has bolts in it and it is fractured. His only worry was about letting his wife and family know he was OK.”

Jeremy Clarkson and James May 'thought Hammond was dead'

Richard Hammond’s co-presenters Jeremy Clarkson and James May thought he was dead after witnessing the horror crash.

The Grand Tour hosts both rushed over to the scene of the attack, where they found the 47-year-old lying on the ground.

Just yards away, flames had already engulfed the vehicle.

The show’s executive producer Andy Wilman told The Sunday Mirror: “Jeremy and James both raced down to the scene of the crash as soon as it happened. “When they saw the wreckage on fire they thought Richard was dead. It was really bad.”

Read more here .

Facebook users slam NHS worker over 'hope he dies' comment after Hammond's crash

Facebook users have slammed a vile troll, who claims to be an NHS worker, after she commented on the social media site that she ‘hopes Richard Hammond dies’.

Cheryl Anne Phillips, who states on her own Facebook profile that she is an Anatomical Pathology Technician at the North Bristol NHS Trust, claimed that it wasn’t the first time The Grand Tour presenter had ‘used the NHS to save his life’.

Within minutes, the post had gained replies from incredulous viewers, who pointed out several flaws with the vile comment, the obvious being that Hammond won’t be being treated by the NHS - because the crash occurred in Switzerland.

One Facebook user replied: “NHS in Switzerland? Not very informed about your own employers are you? Pretty sure he’ll be on private healthcare too which hopefully means he’ll never rely on your ‘care’ on way or another.

“A disgraceful thing to say for anyone, let alone someone who works within our prized public asset, the NHS.”

You can read more about this story here .

Jake Humphrey says driving fast 'is not Hammond's forte'

Jake Humphrey has tweeted that Richard Hammond should realise that driving fast is ‘not his forte’.

The BT Sport football presenter said that he’s glad the ex Top Gear presenter isn’t seriously injured but implied he should step down from driving.

It seems unlikely that the star would give up his job on The Grand Tour, which he co-presents alongside fellow petrolheads, Jeremy Clarkson and James May.

But Hammond did say earlier this year that he would stop the dangerous stunts for the sake of his “beautiful family”

Clarkson says Hammond is "OK"

Jeremy Clarkson says his The Grand Tour co-presenter is “OK” following the fiery crash.

Clarkson posted a snap of the burned-out car on Instagram after Hammond escaped serious injury.

He wrote: “And Richard is OK.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVKoTp8H9-g

Full statement on crash and Hammond's injuries

Here is the full statement on the crash from Hammond’s spokesperson:

“Richard Hammond was involved in a serious crash after completing the Hemburg Hill Climb in Switzerland in a Rimac Concept One, an electric super car built in Croatia, during filming for The Grand Tour Season 2 on Amazon Prime, but very fortunately suffered no serious injury.

“He was flown by air ambulance to hospital in St Gallen to be checked over revealing a fracture to his knee.

Hammond crashed as he drove around track 'for a third time'

A witness says Hammond’s car crashed as he drove around the closed course for a third time.

The witness told the Blick newspaper: “The team drove the racetrack three times.

“At the third round, the white Rimac came off the road and caught fire.”

Blick described it as a training lap.

Several auto publications say the Rimac Concept One is worth $1.2m (£940,000) brand new.

Hammond describes quick recovery from Mozambique bike crash

After the motorbike crash in March, Hammond described his quick recovery.

He suffered bruising all over his body after falling from the bike and hitting his head during filming.

Here’s video of Hammond discussing the incident:

Hammond's history of living dangerously as he survives third crash

This isn’t the first time Hammond has cheated while filming scenes for his millions of fans.

In 2006, he was in an induced coma for two weeks after the jet-powered car he was piloting crashed at 288mph while filming for Top Gear.

He survived his second horror crash in March when he toppled off his motorbike while working on The Grand Tour in Mozambique.

Click here to read more.

Grand Tour stars driving expensive supercars through Switzerland

The stars of the Amazon programme The Grand Tour were driving a fleet of luxury supercars through Switzerland as they filmed scenes for the next series.

Starstruck posted photos on social media as Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson and James May made their way across the country this week.

They were spotted in Lucerne on Thursday and were in St Gallen today for the hill climb.

Clarkson says crash was "most frightening" one he has ever seen

Former Top Gear star Jeremy Clarkson has revealed that Hammond’s terrifying crash was the “most frightening” he’s ever seen.

Hammond was lucky to walk away from the fiery car crash as he filmed scenes for The Grand Tour.

He is in hospital in St Gallen after suffering a broken knee.

TV star had ruled out risky stunts for sake of his "beautiful" family

Just weeks ago, Hammond had vowed never to do a death-defying stunt again for the sake of his “beautiful” family.

The Grand Tour host spoke out after being knocked off his bike and KO’d while filming a new series of the Amazon programme.

Today’s incident comes 11 years after he was in a coma following a 288mph crash which occurred during filming for Top Gear.

Everything you need to know about Bergrennen-Hemberg race

The Bergrennen-Hemberg race is a Swiss mountain challenge that is being held today and tomorrow.

It is held annually in the canton of St Gallen through Bachli, Hemberg and St Peterzell.

The track length in 1758m with an average slope through the mountains of 8.94%.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVJ3ySJlHV5/

Rimac electric supercar has top speed of 355km/h

Hammond was driving a Rimac Concept One electric sports car when he crashed.

The $1m car, manufactured by the Croatian firm Rimac Automobili, has a top speed of 355km/h (220mph). It was not known how fast Hammond’s car was travelling when it crashed.

The 1,224-horsepower vehicle can go from 0-100km/h in just 2.5 seconds.

Hammond was photographed with the car yesterday.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVF3jAGBYgn/

Photo taken just moments after car burst into flames

A fan snapped a photo just moments after Hammond’s car burst into flames.

The star wasn’t in the vehicle when it caught fire.

The 47-year-old was airlifted to hospital after suffering a fractured knee.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVKmciyFaPF/

Photos of charred supercar following crash

These photos show the charred remains of the Rimac Concept One supercar after it caught fire.

The electric car exploded into flames after it went off a mountain road and flipped onto its roof.

Firefighters were called in to put out the flames on the hillside.

Jeremy Clarkson says crash was "biggest" he's ever seen

Hammond’s The Grand Tour co-star Jeremy Clarkson has revealed his horror over the crash.

He wrote on Twitter that it was the “biggest” crash he had ever seen before.

Clarkson added that Hammond “seems to be mostly OK”.

Dramatic footage shows moment Hammond crashes car

Dramatic footage shows the moment Richard Hammond ‘s car went off a hillside.

A spokesperson says the TV star got out of the car on his own before it burst into flames.

He was airlifted to hospital but escaped serious injury.

Hammond escapes serious injury in fiery crash

A spokesman for Hammond says the TV star escaped serious injury in the crash.

He was driving a Rimac Concept One electric sports car when it crashed during the Hemberg Hill Climb in Switzerland.

Hammond was filming scenes for the second series of The Grand Tour.

Smiling Hammond poses for selfie with fan just before horror crash

Hammond smiled as he posed for a selfie with a fan before the crash.

The photo was taken at the Bergrennen Hemberg event.

Afterwards the fan wrote: “We pray for him”.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVKQn_eFLAY/

MORE ON Richard Hammond James May Jeremy Clarkson Amazon Top Gear Hospitals Car crashes The Grand Tour

Get email updates with the day's biggest stories.

• svg]:fill-accent-900">

The Grand Tour Is Finally Ending—Last Special Coming In September

By Nico DeMattia

Posted on Aug 22, 2024 10:18 AM EDT

3 minute read

Someone better stop cutting onions because that’s totally why my eyes are water—and not because I just watched the trailer for The Grand Tour’s finale. The end has been coming for the original Top Gear trio for a while now, so this isn’t exactly a surprise, however. Last year, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May announced they only had one more special left in the tank. However, that doesn’t make seeing the final trailer any easier.

Do I think this last special will recapture the magic of old Top Gear, the sort of magic that’s been mostly missing since The Grand Tour started? No, I’m cautiously optimistic at best, but realistically, I’m pretty doubtful. That doesn’t matter, though. For all of their faults, Clarkson, Hammond, and May have been providing so many car nerds like you and me with automotive joy for over two decades. Those three Brits are among the main reasons why I’m even typing these words and I know I’m far from alone. Even though The Grand Tour has become a bit tired—I’m not even sure I finished watching the most recent special—their impact on the automotive world hasn’t.

This new special, One for the Road , doesn’t seem any different from any other of their adventure specials. They drive three old cars, the sort that have no business tackling treacherous terrain. Like so many other specials, they modify their cars to handle the rigors of the harsh environment by taking the doors off and stripping out the interiors, making their lives entertainingly uncomfortable. But that familiarity is a good thing. For the final episode, I don’t want them trying to reinvent the wheel. I want a classic Clarkson, Hammond, and May adventure.

Judging from the trailer, this final special seems to have all the classic ingredients. All three hosts choose cars for this special that are so typical of them that it feels right at home. Clarkson drives an old Lancia Scorpion because he always picks unreliable Italian cars. Hammond has a Ford Capri because he always champions blue-collar sports cars, and May picks what seems to be a Mk2 Triumph Stag because he always has to pick the wrong car.

One for the Road debuts on Sept. 13, on Amazon Prime. I’ll be watching on day one and, even though I acknowledge that it’s time for the three to retire, I’m still gonna be sad about it.

Got tips? Send ’em to [email protected]

Latest in Culture

Nissan almost sold the r33 gt-r in the us and other skyline secrets nissan almost sold the r33 gt-r in the us and other skyline secrets, wrecked lexus lfa on copart could be the queen of all engine swap donors wrecked lexus lfa on copart could be the queen of all engine swap donors.

• SI SWIMSUIT
• SI SPORTSBOOK

The Grand Tour Trailer Released As Series Comes To An Emotional End - WATCH

Saajan jogia | 13 hours ago.

Motoring enthusiasts could dread the 13th of September as it marks the final time a motoring show with the three top presenters of the automotive world, Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond, head out on an adventure in Zimbabwe. This emotional and spirited journey, titled "One For The Road," is part of The Grand Tour series and will air exclusively on Amazon Prime.

The trio has been popular since its BBC Top Gear days, famous for its brutal car reviews, splendid British humor, high-speed action, a ton of car knowledge, and of course, for its Top Gear specials. However, it wasn't just the cars, it was the unmatchable chemistry between three friends who pretended to hate each other that turned out to work the most. Their playful banter and seamless camaraderie became the hallmark of the episodes of Top Gear, making each episode an unforgettable experience.

The show was a favorite among car enthusiasts in their twenties, thirties, and forties, with its specials standing out as particularly memorable. Highlights included the 1,000-mile motorcycle adventure through Vietnam, the quest to locate the source of the Nile in three second-hand estate cars, and the dramatic crossing of Africa's salt flats and game reserves in three worn-out cars with no doors.

The series also featured specials involving muscle cars in a journey across America to set top speed records on the salt flats and the polar expedition, which showcased a gripping man vs. nature scenario and marked the first car to reach the North Pole. These iconic events became the stuff of legend for car fans, who could only dream of such adventures themselves.

However, Clarkson, May, and Hammond left the BBC after Clarkson was involved in a 'fracas'. The three, alongside producer Andy Wilman, started their own production company to film The Grand Tour. They collaborated with Amazon to feature the show exclusively on Prime. After its first series in 2016, when it broke all records, the trio embarked on adventures every year, demonstrating that even as they aged into their fifties and sixties, their enthusiasm for high-octane exploration remained undiminished.

Sadly, it appears that the era of car explorations is coming to an end this year. The trio will journey to Zimbabwe, followed by a nostalgic return to Botswana, the birthplace of their Top Gear specials. They will embark on a breathtaking road trip through dramatic and challenging landscapes in a Lancia Montecarlo, a Ford Capri 3-liter, and a Triumph Stag, before wrapping up the episode with an emotionally charged finale on a strangely familiar island.

When asked at the Edinburgh TV Festival why the trio was ending the global phenomenon, as reported by Daily Mail , Wilman said:

"We are getting to the point where enough is enough. On top of that, there is the sense that we want to end things on our own terms. It had to come to an end and we wanted to be the ones who called it."

The episode was shot in September last year where the trio will return to Kubu Island, Botswana. Wilman described the episode as "deliberately gentle" as the three stars wanted to go back to where they started from. He added:

"They wanted to go 'unplugged'. We wanted to go back to 2005, leave the dynamite at home, we will go with s*** old cars. They give you more TV than modern new cars, they give you more stories, more laughs. So they wanted evocative cars that they adore and they wanted to be in Africa. It is the favorite continent we ever filmed in.

"Their comradery is next level. I think that you can see that they know this is the last time they will do this.

"We decided a long time ago. The one thing we wanted to be in control of is deciding when and where and how we landed."

In recent years, the three presenters have each pursued their own ventures. Clarkson turned to farming, leading to the expansion of several related businesses. May launched his gin and invested in a pub, and Hammond opened a new garage.

As life progresses and time moves on, some things remain deeply cherished in our hearts. For many, Clarkson, May, and Hammond are more than just television personalities—they embody our passions, the machines we love, and the thrill of adventure. Through their unforgettable journeys and insightful humor, they have taught us to appreciate, respect, and savor the marvels of automotive engineering, leaving a lasting legacy that continues to inspire and delight.

It remains to be seen if Clarkson makes use of his popular line in the upcoming episode - "And on that bombshell, it is time to end."

SAAJAN JOGIA