Richard Hammond beams in his Land Rover on a ride out after announcing his marriage split from wife of 23 years

RICHARD Hammond has been spotted looking successful large spirits portion retired successful his Land Rover, pursuing the divided from his woman of 23 years.

The Top Gear prima jumped successful his car arsenic portion of a thrust retired organised by the Smallest Cog store that helium owns successful Hereford.

The Sun understands that Richard’s paper columnist woman Mindy, 59, demanded the divorce aft a root claimed she "wanted him gone".

The news was shared by Top Gear prima Hammond, 55, connected an X relationship shared by the pair.

Brushing disconnected his marriage woes, Richard was spotted successful a brownish overgarment and wrapped up for the winter successful a chapeau and scarf.

He flashed a grin arsenic helium grabbed clasp of the instrumentality and drove successful his car which says ‘follow me’ and ‘escort vehicle’ on the side.

A drawstring of akin cars followed Richard’s arsenic they each rode on connected the thrust out.

Richard and his wife’s divided connection read: “A small update from us; this Christmas we were unneurotic arsenic a household and this twelvemonth we volition inactive beryllium a household but conscionable structured a spot differently.

"Our matrimony is coming to end, but we've had an astonishing 28 years unneurotic and 2 unthinkable daughters.

"We volition ever beryllium successful each other's lives and are arrogant of the household we created.

"We won't beryllium commenting further and sincerely anticipation that our privateness and that of our children volition beryllium respected astatine this time. With Love, Richard and Mindy."

It is believed Mindy is asking to support their £7million Bollitree Castle estate, successful Herefordshire, arsenic they gully up divorce settlements.

The root told The Sun: “Richard is precise upset astir each this. It seems helium has tried hard to rekindle the narration but to nary avail.

“There is nary speculation that immoderate 3rd enactment is involved.”

Richard’s girl has branded her dada an ‘idiot’ while besides saying helium was ‘never truly there.’

On a podcast, Richard’s girl Izzy was asked: “Would you telephone your dada a daredevil oregon an idiot?”

While appearing connected Ben Fowler’s Road To Success, she replied: “We've done handbrake turns astir roundabouts, atrocious I cognize that's incredibly amerciable you mightiness person to chopped that out. He's an idiot.”

She continued: “He has that happening that racing drivers person wherever they conscionable don't person the fear. Everyone has that enactment wherever it's similar ‘okay I cognize wherever the enactment is’, helium conscionable doesn't person that. He truly genuinely would conscionable spell and spell and go.”

She besides discussed however helium “wasn’t determination a lot” erstwhile she and her sister Willow, 22, were increasing up.

Richard’s girl went on: “I ever deliberation it indispensable beryllium frustrating for my mum due to the fact that astir apt immoderate of my happiest memories are ironically with my dada due to the fact that helium wasn't determination that overmuch due to the fact that helium was filming. 

“He wasn't determination a batch and that's each I truly knew increasing up.

“I mean I'm not this is sounding similar I had immoderate atrocious childhood, I truly didn't astatine all.

“I deliberation my parents were truly bully astatine navigating due to the fact that they had nary thought what was going to happen.

“But they were precise bully astatine benignant of drip feeding accusation truthful we'd cognize a spot what helium was doing but not capable to interest america due to the fact that astir of the clip they were doing anserine worldly that we truly shouldn't cognize about.”