Freddie Flintoff: bulldozers ‘seen at Top Gear test track’ after Flintoff horror crash

Reports have emerged suggesting Top Gear’s famed test track could be sold off to developers after Andrew Flintoff’s horror crash at the site.

It comes after the former England cricketer, 45, was airlifted to hospital with facial injuries and broken ribs after a collision at the Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey last December while filming the car show which left him “lucky to be alive” and "seriously emotionally and physically affected". Reports have since emerged that he is ‘quitting the show’, and will be off air until next year, while the BBC has confirmed his recovery is a priority over filming.

The BBC had already shared that production will not continue on the newest series of Top Gear amid an investigation into the accident. However, The Sun has reported that the BBC has accepted a bid from housing developers to dismantle the track to make way for a housing estate.

There have been plans to turn the site into a 2,600-home village with school and community facilities since 2005, the paper reports. An insider told The Sun: “Dunsfold is synonymous with Top Gear, it’s a huge part of the show.

“But allowing the site to be sold off is a damning statement for the series’ future. There’s been mounting pressure for some years for the aerodrome site to be regenerated, but attempts have been resisted. But after Freddie’s crash there’s a feeling that perhaps it’s time to put the show to bed and avoid any more potentially devastating crashes. It’s a real blow for fans.”

In March 2023, the BBC shared a statement apologising to Flintoff following the incident. It read: "BBC Studios have sincerely apologised to Freddie and will continue to support him with his recovery. Under the circumstances, we feel it would be inappropriate to resume making series 34 of Top Gear at this time. We understand this will be disappointing for fans, but it is the right thing to do, and we’ll make a judgment about how best to continue later this year.”