Dan Ticktum Targets Top Gear Revival With Richard Hammond Link

richard hammond is back in the frame through Dan Ticktum’s attempt to launch a new TV show tied to Top Gear. The Formula E star says he filmed a pilot last November and is now lining up a meeting with someone he described as "pretty big in that world."

"I’m trying to start a TV show at the moment. I filmed a pilot for that last November," Ticktum said. He added, "I’ve got a meeting with somebody lined up who’s pretty big in that world – I can’t say who, but everyone will know his name."

Top Gear Since 2001

Top Gear dates back to the 1970s, was cancelled in 2001, and then returned in a new style under Jeremy Clarkson and producer Andy Wilman. Clarkson then formed the presenting trio with Richard Hammond and James May, a lineup that lasted until 2015, before the tried several new combinations and settled on Paddy McGuinness, Freddie Flintoff and Chris Harris.

That history gives Ticktum’s pitch a narrow lane to hit. He is not trying to invent a fresh motoring format from scratch; he is trying to tap a brand with a long-running identity that has already been rebuilt once and then cycled through multiple presenter lineups.

Freddie Flintoff Crash Aftermath

Freddie Flintoff was involved in a serious crash in December 2022, and Top Gear has been on an indefinite hiatus ever since. Ticktum says his concept is meant to continue that legacy, and he described his planned trio as a group with "very similar camaraderie, banter, and we all love cars."

"It’s just trying to continue the legacy of Top Gear, really, which obviously is a very hard thing to do," he said. He also said, "We’re not going to be particularly woke. We’re not going to just airdrop someone in from Hollywood because they’re famous."

Ticktum’s Trio And The Pitch

Ticktum said, "You know, we’re just three normal guys who love cars, and that’s what people loved about Top Gear." He added, "Everyone who’s tried to come since has neglected that."

His next step is straightforward: get the unnamed industry figure in the room and see whether the concept moves beyond the pilot. If that meeting goes well, the project becomes a real challenge to a motoring format that has been off TV since Flintoff’s crash shut the door on the version.