Richard Hammond made a series of racist jokes about Mexicans on an episode of Top Gear in 2011, describing Mexican people and Mexican cars with offensive stereotypes about laziness and appearance. The remarks caused a diplomatic row, and the Mexican ambassador demanded an apology, calling the comments “xenophobic” and “offensive.”

What he actually said

On the Top Gear episode, Hammond was talking about a Mexican sports car when he claimed that cars reflect supposed “national characteristics.” He then said that a Mexican car would be:

  • “lazy, feckless, flatulent, overweight” and “leaning against a fence asleep,” referencing a man in a poncho by a cactus.
  • Framed this as representing Mexicans in general, turning it into a broad national stereotype rather than car-related banter.

These lines were delivered as part of the show’s “jokey” style but clearly leaned on old racist caricatures of Mexicans as lazy and slobbish.

Why it caused backlash

The comments sparked immediate criticism in the UK and Mexico, especially because they went beyond car humour and into national and ethnic stereotypes. Key points:

  • The Mexican ambassador in London formally complained to the BBC, calling the remarks “xenophobic, humiliating, and offensive.”
  • Mexican officials and many viewers argued that the jokes reinforced harmful clichés used historically to demean Mexicans as lazy or inferior.

The controversy also fed into a larger pattern of Top Gear being criticized for racially or culturally insensitive jokes over the years.

What happened after

Following the outcry, the BBC and the Top Gear team faced pressure to apologize publicly. Reports at the time noted:

  • Mexican authorities requested a clear on-air apology from the presenters for the remarks about Mexicans being “lazy” and “overweight.”
  • The incident became one of the better‑known Top Gear controversies, still discussed in fan forums and retrospectives about the show’s more problematic humour.

TL;DR: Richard Hammond described Mexicans and Mexican cars using stereotypes like “lazy, feckless, flatulent, overweight,” turning national identity into a punchline, which led to official complaints from Mexico and accusations of xenophobia.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.