Is Jeremy Clarkson about to launch "the world's biggest car show"?

"I hope Chris enjoys running what, for the next couple of weeks, is the world's biggest car show," he said.

Now either that means that he thinks Evans will drive the show into a wall (harsh, given that Evans says he got a text from Clarkson wishing him luck), or he's about to launch his anticipated motoring show of his own.

The only surprise is how quickly Clarkson appears to have moved: he told Evans on his Radio 2 show in May that he was listening to options, but didn't want to rush into anything: "You'd be a fool to just jump into something, you have to look at what's out there and what's the best thing to do."

However, he has also written that he is certain to make another car show, saying “I have lost my baby but I shall create another. I don’t know who the other parent will be or what the baby will look like, but I cannot sit around any more organising my photograph album.”

Clarkson, James May, Richard Hammond and Top Gear producer Andy Wilman have all left the show, and are rumoured to be considering making another motoring show together. ITV and streaming service Netflix have both been touted as potential partners.

Sky has already ruled out working with Clarkson, as RadioTimes.com revealed, and so has Channel 4. But neither ITV nor Netflix have commented on the speculation.

May will continue to work with the BBC, with the broadcaster announcing he was working on a two-part documentary series about the car manufacturing process. But that does not rule him out of also working with his Top Gear colleagues on another channel.

New presenter Chris Evans has already started making plans to take Top Gear on, holding open auditions to join him on the revamped show.

But if Clarkson is to be believed, both Evans and the BBC will have to shift up to beat him in the ultimate TV motor race.