It was back in September 2006 that Hammond was left in critical condition after 288mph crash while filming a segment for the BBC motoring show, which he presented with Jeremy Clarkson and James May until 2015.
While driving a dragster vehicle called ‘Vampire’, the car suffered a front right tyre blow out close to 300mph.
The drag car veered off of the runway and into the grass adjacent, smashing into bits and rolling on to its roof.
Hammond had already done six successful runs in Vampire, with a seventh and final taking place to collect extra footage for Top Gear. It was during this run that the incident took place.
The 54-year-old was left with his helmet embedded in to the ground itself.
Now, with the end of The Grand Tour in sight – and the end of Hammond, May, and Clarkson on our screens for good – Hammond has looked back on his time working with the other two.
And as part of that, he recalled the moment the crash happened and the subsequent impact it has had on his health since then.
The Grand Tour trio are driving cars across Zimbabwe for the final special. (Prime Video)
Writing in The Sunday Times, Hammond said he has spoken to his family about how the injuries he sustained are still impacting him today.
Hammond said: “There was my jet car crash in 2006. A tyre burst at 300mph and I careered out of control and landed upside down in a field.
“Apparently I tried to do a piece to camera afterwards but I’ve no memory. I sustained a frontal lobe brain injury.
“It did have a knock-on effect. I’ve discussed it since with my family. I’m 54 and my memory’s getting shaky.
“The crash boosted our viewing figures — undoubtedly so. It helped humanise us beyond being car reporters.”
Hammond has revealed his memory is getting ‘shaky’ (DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images)
Recalling when he was told about the crash, Clarkson wrote: “I was told about his crash as I was driving round Hammersmith roundabout, and it didn’t seem like he was too badly injured.
“They’d got him out of the car and he’d tried to do a piece to camera.
“Plucky little f***er, as always. But then one of the crew noticed his eyes weren’t really pointing in the same direction, so off to hospital he went.”
This isn’t the first time Hammond has spoken about how the crash has impacted his health.
In 2018, he said he had suffered from depression and difficulty processing emotions. He blames no one for the crash, saying ‘nobody’ could have stopped it from happening.
He went as far to praise Top Gear for the response in the immediate aftermath, with an air ambulance called as soon as it was realised he’d need one.
Hammond said: “Everything was done properly. And that’s all you can ultimately do, isn’t it?”
