Top Gear gets into the fast lane again

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Freddie Flintoff, Chris Harris, and Paddy McGuinness are back with more cars and comedy as the much-loved motoring magazine starts its 31st season.

While the last series was hampered by strict Covid restrictions, the new run is a return to some sort of normal. If you count spewing milk all over a Mercedes EQC as normal, that is.

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Fans of the show will be thrilled to have the lads back on their TV screens, and following series 30, McGuinness told Metro.co.uk that the Top Gear team were looking to be able to start working properly, out and about, again.

Freddie Flintoff, Chris Harris and Paddy McGuinnessFreddie Flintoff, Chris Harris and Paddy McGuinness
Freddie Flintoff, Chris Harris and Paddy McGuinness

“It had its difficulties this one, and that’s why we could only do four,” he said. “We’re already starting to look at the next series and, fingers crossed, hopefully the restrictions will start easing and we will have a bit more license. Who knows, we might even be able to do a trip abroad again. It’s good to be back with the boys again. When we’re in the car together, I feel as though they get more out of us. It’s a pleasure, and we’ve kind of found our stride and we just keep trying to improve every series.”

This is the trio’s fifth series together and Paddy had his own idea of what he wanted to do.

“I’d like to do more stuff on me own,” he joked. “A little road trip; on my own in the car. I’ll be happy with that.

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Freddie added: “I’d like to do a big, unplanned adventure and just see what happens. It’s been God knows how long, and I’d love to be with these two going across America.”

The States may have to wait though, as in the trailers realised ahead of the new run, we got a sneak peak of some of the antics the trio will be getting up to. Some of the vehicles set to appear in the new season include the McLaren 765 LT, Aston Martin’s one-off Victor, a Lamborghini Huracan STO, Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, a DeLorean DMC-12 and a Lada Niva.

Meanwhile, the features will include an international trip to Iceland – the show’s first foreign shoot since prior to the pandemic.

Plus, they head to Cornwall in some (utterly unsuitable) bargains for new drivers, there’s an off-road caravan trip using electric crossovers (which may sound a little similar to the Grand Tour’s Lochdown special), some flying cars and even a spot of zorbing.

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However, they kick off the new series with the ‘ultimate track day’ at the Silverstone Circuit, testing three high-performance cars with three F1 Drivers.

Freddie and Sebastian Vettel get behind the wheel of an Aston Martin Vantage F1 Edition, Chris and Lando Norris drive the McLaren 765LT, and Paddy takes the Alfa Romeo Giulia GTAm for a spin, alongside Antonio Giovazzini.

Meanwhile, Eddie Kidd OBE was one of the greatest bikers of them all – an impossibly talented and handsome stunt rider who performed death-defying feats.

However, a crash in 1996 ended Eddie’s riding career, leaving him with life-changing injuries.

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Top Gear pays tribute to this British legend in the only way Top Gear knows how: with Paddy wearing leathers, leaping through a ring of fire.

Plus, there are some rather more talented bikers leaping over trophy trucks in one of the most spectacular stunt shows you’ll ever see.

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