Richard Hammond has spoken about the moment he feared James May had died after a heavy crash while filming The Grand Tour special, A Scandi Flick.
The 52-year-old TV presenter said that he feared the worst when he saw the car James was driving hit a rock wall at speed.
In the show, the intrepid threesome thought it would make great viewing if they charged around unlit tunnels at an old naval base, at more than 70mph, to see how they got on.
In the case of James May, it wasn't very well he got on, with him losing control of his yellow Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8, with disastrous effect.
Speaking on The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X, Richard said: “I don't know what came over him, genuinely, I don't […] He really wanted to win.
"But he came through. We were genuinely concerned and I thought my mate was dead. We ran up that tunnel thinking… and then saw the car and thought ‘Oh God!’”
The former Top Gear presenter revealed more details about the crash and said that he wondered what had happened for James to have taken the risks that he had done.
Richard continued: "I don’t know why we thought it was a good idea. The challenge was to drive down a dark tunnel, the lights came on as you passed them, and it did end in - very much as James discovered – end [in] like a wall.
"And it was to see which of us could get to the highest top speed, and then break, and then – key bit - stop before hitting the wall.
"Jeremy [Clarkson] went first, quite brisk, wahey! I was waiting to go last, James went second, very brisk departure and didn't stop."
Chris Moyles asked: "Just missed his breakpoint?"
Richard confirmed: "Oh, yeah! Hit the wall. I mean, it's, yeah...
"I mean, you'll see in the show, we were concerned, you know, because it was a big old crash."
Chris said: "Well because there was shot of him getting out of the car, he all but leaps out the car. But you can see he's not with it."
Richard replied: "I think he was a little surprised!"
After such a bad crash, Chris questioned Richard about his approach to the course.
He said: "And then that point do you go ‘I don't think I need to do my [drive]’
Richard replied: "I very much did yeah! I thought ‘well, I think we've covered that!’ Plus I don't want to damage my car. So I went for a different approach.
"I don't know what came over him. Genuinely, I don't."
Richard said that he and Jeremy were worried for their friend as it was quite an impact.
He added: "He really wanted to win. But he came through. We were genuinely concerned and I thought my mate was dead.
"We ran up that tunnel thinking [makes concerned face] and then saw the car and thought ‘Oh God!’"
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