Izzy Hammond's High-Speed Formula E Crash in Saudi Arabia
Izzy Hammond, the 25-year-old daughter of former Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond, emerged unscathed from a dramatic 24G crash while driving a Formula E car in Saudi Arabia on Sunday. The incident occurred during a special influencer event known as Evo Sessions at the modified Jeddah Corniche Circuit, where Hammond lost control at turn 13 and collided front-on with a concrete barrier.
"He's Going to Cry": Izzy's Immediate Concern for Her Father
Following the violent impact, Hammond's first thought was for her father, Richard Hammond, who was watching the event. "My first thought when I was in that wall was 'oh my god, everyone's watching, my dad's watching,'" she revealed. "He's going to cry or something. Can someone just tell him I'm OK?! It wasn't a small crash. If you're going to crash, you've got to really crash." Medical staff cleared her shortly after the accident, though she reported experiencing neck pain afterwards.
Technical Mishap Leads to Monumental Crash
Hammond, who hosts several car-related podcasts and boasts 284,000 social media followers, explained that insufficient tyre heat likely caused the crash. "I don't think I had enough heat in my tyres so I was trying to break, and I was trying to turn, with no heated tyres and it all just went, a little bit, t*** up and I hit the wall at 24Gs," she said. She apologised to her team, Lola, adding, "I returned the favour by putting their car into the wall sideways and destroying it. So that's not great."
Echoes of Richard Hammond's Near-Fatal 2006 Crash
The crash comes nearly two decades after her father's own harrowing accident. In September 2006, Richard Hammond crashed a 288mph jet-powered dragster while attempting a land speed record for BBC's Top Gear at Elvington airfield, leaving him in a medically induced coma for two weeks. Izzy's incident adds another chapter to the family's high-speed drama, though she remained philosophical, stating, "Now I can say I am a proper racing driver. I have had a monumental crash."
Influencer Event Outcome and Aftermath
Despite the crash, the Evo Sessions event continued, with YouTube personality Josh Larkin, known as TheBurntChip, winning the second iteration of the influencer-only competition. Hammond concluded her remarks by saying, "I'm going to bed now and sleep off my concussion, but bye," highlighting her resilient attitude towards the dangerous incident.
