Just two months after confirming their lucrative £160m deal with Amazon, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May have started filming on their new post-Top Gear show.
On Twitter Clarkson broke the news to his 5.6m fans, saying “With a skeleton crew, filming for Amazon Prime’s new motoring programme has begun.”
Earlier on Wednesday Clarkson marked the arrival of dawn on what he described as “a very special day”.
This evening’s photo appears to have been taken at the Algarve Motor Park racetrack and shows the three presenters in front of the McLaren P1, the Ferrari LaFerrari and the Porsche 918 Spyder, three cars long-rumoured to be pitched against each other in a Top Gear showdown.
It seems the contest will now be seen in the presenters’ new show, giving them a major coup with which to possibly launch the venture.
Today’s start of filming means the trio have beaten their former show and its new presenter Chris Evans into production. Evans and BBC bosses are said to still be working on a new format for the BBC Two show and have yet to confirm a full presenter line-up.
Meanwhile Clarkson, Hammond and May have set-up a new production company, hired a crew and started filming.
With a skeleton crew, filming for Amazon Prime's new motoring programme has begun. pic.twitter.com/8PaYvke5il
— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) October 7, 2015
Clarkson’s co-stars also took to Twitter to express their pleasure to be back at work:
The band is back together and it feels brilliant. pic.twitter.com/UNBozqx1Ca
— Richard Hammond (@RichardHammond) October 7, 2015
Great first day at work. I can't stop staring. pic.twitter.com/GtYVHaGmYR
— James May (@MrJamesMay) October 7, 2015
Research carried out by SEENIT writer Martin Hoscik and Buzzfeed last month revealed the trio’s new show could be called Gear Knobs after a law firm with close ties to Clarkson was found to have registered the name with the UK’s trademark agency.
Spokespeople for both Amazon and Clarkson have declined to confirm the name.
Subscribers to Amazon’s streaming video service will be able to watch the new show from early next year.