Richard Hammond destroyed a $280,000 McLaren 720S after putting water in its gas tank by accident
Published on Feb 16, 2026 at 10:02 AM (UTC+4)
by Molly Davidson
Last updated on Feb 16, 2026 at 10:30 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Richard Hammond was reviewing a $280,000 McLaren 720S on The Grand Tour.
It was meant to be a straightforward track test of one of the fastest supercars on sale.
Instead, it turned into a very expensive lesson in double-checking labels.
Because Hammond accidentally filled the car’s gas tank with water.
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Richard Hammond poured water into a McLaren 720S gas tank
During filming, the McLaren 720S – a 710 horsepower twin-turbo monster – was running low on fuel at the track.
Rather than heading back for a proper refill, Hammond grabbed a nearby jerry can and poured it straight into the tank.
He didn’t check what was inside.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t gasoline.
He later explained he only realized something was wrong when the engine ‘sort of let go’.
That’s one way of saying the supercar basically gave up.
Here’s the simple version: engines are built to burn fuel.
Water doesn’t burn.
When water gets into the fuel system, it can wreck the fuel pump, clog the injectors, and damage the inside of the engine.
In a highly tuned car like the 720S, which costs around $280,000, that kind of mistake isn’t small.
The damage was bad enough that production had to swap in a second McLaren 720S to finish filming the segment.
If you watch closely, you can actually spot the continuity slip as Hammond ends up driving two different cars in the same clip.
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It came not long after another seven-figure mishap
What made the whole thing more awkward was the timing.
Earlier in the same season, Hammond had crashed a $1 million Rimac Concept One during a hill climb.
That accident destroyed the electric hypercar and sent him to the hospital.
Compared to that dramatic crash, pouring water into a McLaren might sound less intense.
But it’s still a six-figure problem caused by a very ordinary mistake.
The good news?
This time, Hammond walked away completely fine.
The bad news?
Somewhere in a garage, a McLaren 720S probably still flinches whenever it sees someone approaching with a mystery can.
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With roles at TEXT Journal, Bowen Street Press, Onya Magazine, and Swine Magazine on her CV, Molly joined Supercar Blondie in June 2025 as a Junior Content Writer. Having experience across copyediting, proofreading, reference checking, and production, she brings accuracy, clarity, and audience focus to her stories spanning automotive, tech, and lifestyle news.
