It's no secret that last year's "Top Gear" reboot wasn't very well received by fans of the original series for the most part. Before "The Grand Tour" reunited Clarkson, Hammond and May, the thought of watching the BBC motoring program without them was unthinkable. Given its negative reception, you couldn't help but wonder what they thought of the new show, given that they hosted "Top Gear" for over a decade. Many have asked that question, one the three blokes usually avoided, until now that is.

During a recent Q&A session to promote their new social media website DriveTribe, one audience member inevitably asked for their opinion on last year's ill-fated season of "Top Gear" (at the 20:55 mark). Specifically, they asked how much they laughed at its poor reception and Chris Evans' departure. The trio's response was surprisingly solemn.

Clarkson and Hammond described the show as their "baby" that was "incredibly precious." It's evident they were reluctant to let go of it, yet they still wanted it to be a success. "There was no willing them to fail, none of that," Hammond responded. "A lot of that was attributed to us, sometimes unfairly because in what way does that advantage us? It doesn't. Anything that keeps car shows hot, and current and popular is in our favor," he concluded. Adding to this, May said how it gives them a chance to watch a car show without them hosting it, before arguing that people read more than one genre of magazine and eat more than one type of food. Surely, then, you can watch more than one car show. We think he has a point.

The new season of "Top Gear" looks seriously promising and should bridge the gap until the next season of "The Grand Tour," returning later this year. Yet people are quick to write it off when it hasn't even aired yet. Perhaps we need to be more open minded like May.