Clarkson is overly abrasive in most cases but I have always found him funny and entertaining. The blend of that trio is absolutely amazing although I don't know if that is only on-screen. But I've always wondered how he could have gotten away with his insults and remarks for such a long time considering his target people, politicians, personalities and even car companies are pretty powerful themselves, and the show is produced by BBC. They do in fact represent BBC.
When Vettel guested a few seasons back, he mentioned that the German dubbed Top Gear was not as funny because he couldn't hear Clarkson's growl. The long-time-running show wouldn't be the same without him for sure. Oh, very happy for Ricciardo for breaking the record this latest season.