In the latest batch of previously-unreleased Grand Tour footage to make its way onto the internet, the producers show a surprisingly human side to the filming process; It seems that even professional drivers still get things wrong sometimes.
While Richard Hammond is known for being the most likely of the trio to crash or mess something up, it seems that Jeremy Clarkson and James May also have their fair share of issues.
Whether it’s driving insanely expensive cars or racing on closed city streets, even professionals (who seem to have the best job in the world!) have bad days.
There’s no doubt that being given responsibility for a multi-million dollar car puts a heavy burden on the shoulders of these experienced drivers and contributes to a few bumps in the road.
Classic cars fight back
Clearly even seasoned veterans sometimes crack under pressure, with Hammond being seen struggling with the gearbox of a $2million + Jaguar XK SS. With these vintage cars there is no synchromesh to allow easy gear selecting, making the process rather hit-and-miss at times.
Evidently the sun and pressure it was all too much for Hammond, as after failing to select first gear he eventually stalls the car completely. Hammond isn’t the only presenter to crack under the pressure of rolling cameras however, as Jeremy has also been caught in the act.
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“We’ll edit that out!”
Blasting around closed-off French streets in a classic Aston Martin DB4 lightweight, Jeremy also falls victim to the complex driving characteristics of these vintage machines.
Having caught his bracelet in part of the seating harness forcing him to stop and abandon his run, Jeremy then tries to get the car underway. Unfortunately due to the stiff clutch, he then goes on to stall the car completely in front of the rolling cameras.
With a cheerful smile and a quick quip of “we’ll edit that out” he is quickly back to work waking up the local residents with his foot pinned to the floorboards of the DB4.
Watching the finished episodes, it is easy to forget that Clarkson, Hammond, and May are still very much human like the rest of us. They still make mistakes occasionally, often with hilarious consequences – the only difference is that their mistakes are captured for us all to enjoy.
