Jenson Button reportedly joining Chris Evans as replacement host

Button, who married model Jessica Michibata last December, is friendly with Evans and has twice appeared on Top Gear before Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May left.

He went on to quote the original Daily Mail article saying: “Hmm, they say an announcement is imminent… really… well I’ll try and find out for you”.

BBC acted quickly and hired Chris Evans who will run the show from next year together with co-hosts set to be selected after a series of auditions where everyone is invited.

Chris Evan recentlydescribed the pressure surrounding his upcoming Top Gear hosting debut as “a bit like being [the new] Doctor Who”.

Button, though, is the latest to join the list of candidates with the Daily Mail’s Sebastian Shakespeare reporting: “I hear the 35-year-old driver is in talks with the BBC”.

Chris and Jenson are good friends and the racing driver appeared on his Radio 2 breakfast show back in July 2013.

He said: “I would be pretty happy if I retired now with my career in terms of achievements”.

Jodie Kidd and Suzi Perry are both said to be in the running to become the first female presenter on the show while Guy Martin, Dermot O’Leary and Philip Glenister are also favourites to join Chris on the revamped show.