The crew of The Grand Tour has been on the hunt for a fourth member ever since parting ways with “The American,” Mike Skinner, earlier this month. In this clip, the trio of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May turn their search for a replacement down under, giving Australian driver Mark Webber a go at impressing his way into a role on the show.
Webber, a former Formula One and Red Bull driver, auditions for a couple of laps — the first in a Porsche 911 GT2 RS, and then much at a much more leisurely pace in a Mercedes-AMG GT R. He impresses in the first, the second not so much.
“Why were you so slow in the Mercedes?” Clarkson asks.
“No, that was everything she has,” Webber replies.
Webber, who retired from racing last year, last competed for Porsche, and he remains with the German brand as a brand ambassador. He also famously competed for Mercedes-AMG from 1997 until 1999, when he flipped a Mercedes-Benz CLR in spectacular fashion during practice for the 24 Hours of Le Mans race due to an aerodynamic fault in the sportscar. He was miraculously not injured in the crash.
Whether it was just the kind of tongue-in-cheek performance the show runners are looking for, or he badly flunked his audition, we’ll have to wait and see. The Grand Tour Season 2 starts Dec. 8 on Amazon Prime. You can also read our review of the AMG GT R here.
