Jeremy Clarkson sacked from Top Gear: Chris Evans a shoo-in for presenter role?

Evans is a self-confessed car fanatic and has spent millions on vintage motors in the past

Chris Evans is the favourite to replace Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear (Rex Features)

While the internet doesn't seem keen on the idea of Chris Evans replacing Jeremy Clarkson as a presenter for Top Gear (and Evans himself has refuted claims that he's in the running for the job), a quick spot of research has found irrefutable evidence for why he would be absolutely perfect.

Most reactions to the prospect of Evans presenting Top Gear have been like this:

A few have been more open to the idea.

And some people just want Jeremy Clarkson.

Chris Evans is just 6 years younger than Jeremy Clarkson, and is equally English, heterosexual and male. So far so good.

Evans is a self-confessed car fanatic and has spent millions on vintage motors in the past.

In 2004, Clarkson damaged a 30-year-old horse-chestnut tree by driving into it to test the strength of a Toyota Hilux.

In 2005, Evans crashed a £120,000 silver Ferrari 575M Maranello into a verge near his home at the time in Surrey.

Evans was described as a "petulant… prima donna" by a judge after losing a High Court case against Virgin Radio in 2003.

Mr Justice Lightman said Evans was "any management’s nightmare" and threw out the case against his former employers, who sacked him after he failed to turn up to work for six days in a row.

Of course, the incident involving Clarkson that proved to be the final straw for the BBC occurred when he reportedly threw a tantrum over the lack of hot food available after a day of filming.

BBC director general Tony Hall said of the decision to sack Clarkson: "For me, a line has been crossed. There cannot be one rule for one and one rule for another dictated by either rank, or public relations and commercial considerations."

Would viewers really be able to tell the difference between the two?