"I would rather be hugged by a threshing machine and he would rather hug a chainsaw. He called me a twat for crashing and I told him his race suit made him look like a hot air balloon and we got back to the race."

A BBC spokesman said: "The three presenters and The Stig were racing a car ... at Silverstone over the weekend. During the race, at night, Richard was driving and another car shunted him off the track.

"Richard wasn’t hurt at all but the car was damaged."


Hammond crash report published - June 23 2007
An investigation into the crash that almost claimed the life of Richard Hammond has identified "failings in the BBC’s safety management systems" - but concluded nobody should be prosecuted over the incident, a report has revealed.

The crash occurred at Elvington airfield last September while Hammond was driving a Vampire, a jet-powered modified drag racer capable of nearly 300mph.

The Top Gear presenter suffered a serious head injury but has made a good recovery.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) report has concluded the crash was caused by a "catastrophic failure" of the Vampire’s front offside tyre at 288mph.

It identified failings in the BBC’s safety management systems relating to risk assessment and the procurement of services from others, and by Northants-based Primetime Landspeed Engineering (PTLE), who owned the car and provided Hammond’s training.

Principal Inspector Keith King said the investigation identified several safety features, which in combination, almost certainly saved Hammond’s life. They included the structural integrity of the Vampire, driver restraint arrangements, the crash helmet and emergency rescue services.

He went on: "The investigation also identified failings in the BBC’s safety management systems relating to risk assessment and the procurement of services from others, and by PTLE in their risk assessment for the services they provided to the BBC at Elvington."

He added: "However, when viewed against HSE’s enforcement criteria, none of these failings merit prosecution."

A BBC spokesman said it would be considering the report "with great care", adding the BBC’s own investigation is nearing conclusion and the recommendations will be published.

He said the Corporation intend to ensure all lessons learned from both reports are applied across the BBC.


Hammond in science book accolade - May 16 22007
Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond has won a top prize after writing a children’s science book.

Can You Feel The Force? uses physics to answer questions such as "What’s inside an atom?" and "Can you walk on custard?"

The Royal Society awarded Hammond its Junior Prize for Science Books.

His book was chosen from a shortlist of six by junior judging panels made up of almost 1,000 young people from 100 school and youth groups.

The result was announced at the Royal Society’s book awards ceremony in London. Hammond, who has made a remarkable recovery from serious head injuries after he crashed in a jet-powered car last September, won a prize of £10,000.

Eleanor Updale, chair of the judging panels, said: "This instantly appealing book traces the roots of physics to the dawn of civilisation, but concentrates on the way physical forces are at work in all our lives today.

"With clear illustrations, practical experiments, and well-paced text, it makes an interest in science look like fun - and above all, normal."