The racing driver who was the first Stig on Top Gear has said that the BBC show would lose its 'fire' without the embattled Jeremy Clarkson. Perry McCarthy, who was the show's resident racing driver between 2002 to 2003, said that Top Gear without Clarkson simply 'won't work'. He said: 'I think you're going to have a diluted product. I don't think it will have the value that it did, here and overseas.' 'And God help any soul who takes his place, because that's like signing up for your own firing squad. Scroll down for video . Perry McCarthy, who was the original Stig on Top Gear, said that Top Gear without Clarkson simply 'won't work'. He also said that  the BBC's decision to suspend Jeremy Clarkson and drop the rest of the current series of Top Gear amid allegations Clarkson punched a producer was 'a complete overreaction' The presenter told waiting reporters that he was off to have 'lunch with a friend' as he left his home yesterday . 'The only person who could take it on would be somebody who has nothing to lose.' Clarkson's future at the BBC is in doubt amid claims that he punched a producer in North Yorkshire. He now faces an interrogation over his row with Top Gear producer Oisin Tymon by BBC chiefs, who are said to be 'desperate' to get rid of him. Ken MacQuarrie, head of BBC Scotland, is leading an inquiry into the fracas and is expected to deliver a verdict within days. Mr McCarthy went on to add that Top Gear with a 'neutered' Clarkson would not work either in the Radio Times interview. He said: 'The charm and brilliance of Jeremy are that he is a slightly loose cannon, you're not quite sure what he's going to do next. 'There is an unpredictability  coupled with creative genius. 'I think he is God's gift to British broadcasting, and a brilliant journalist.' He went on to clarify that he wasn't 'puffing him up', and that the pair weren't close, he was just very aware of his talents. Clarkson was suspended by the BBC last week after allegedly shouting at Top Gear producer Oisin Tymon (pictured) The BBC owns both the Top Gear name and the format of the show, meaning that it could still air without Mr Clarkson. However, many viewers tune in specifically because of the controversial presenter, and would be unwilling to watch it without him. Top Gear averages around 5.5million viewers an episode, but a programme about the Red Arrows airing in the same slot on Sunday night only attracted 1.3million viewers. More than 935,000 people have signed an online petition to reinstate him on Top Gear, whilst Prime Minister David Cameron, a close friend of the television presenter, has said that his children would be ‘heartbroken’ if the show is taken off air on a permanent basis. The series also raises around £50million a year for the Corporation, thanks to its sales overseas. The version featuring Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May is aired in some 214 territories around the world – a record for any British programme. It has also been remade for certain markets, including America and France. Some BBC insiders argue that another host could take Mr Clarkson’s place. BBC Radio 2 host Chris Evans has been tipped for the role, although he has ruled himself out of the running. The news comes as the BBC backed Clarkson's use of the word 'pikey'. The word - used as a derogatory term for gipsies or travellers - was part of a 'running gag' between Clarkson and fellow presenter James May about their colleague Richard Hammond's perceived cheap style. A complaint was lodged by the Traveller Movement charity after it appeared on a placard in a Top Gear episode from February last year. And last night Clarkson was at the centre of another controversy after he said in the March edition of Top Gear magazine that foreign taxi drivers in London have 'vehicles smelling of sick'. He also turned on drivers in the North, saying northern roads are overrun with immigrants 'who have never experienced tarmac before'. Mr McCarthy went on to add that Top Gear with a 'neutered' Clarkson would not work either. He said: 'The charm and brilliance of Jeremy are that he is a slightly loose cannon, you're not quite sure what he's going to do next. 'There is an unpredictability coupled with creative genius . The inflammatory comments follow a string of racism rows. Last year, Clarkson apologised after he was filmed allegedly using the N-word in the poem 'Eeny, meeny, miney, moe'. Shortly afterwards, he used the racist term 'slope' in a show about Burma. The racing driver who was The Stig on Top Gear for eight years has said that the BBC show could thrive without the embattled Jeremy Clarkson. Ben Collins fell out with the broadcaster when it launched legal action - which it failed to win - over his decision to reveal his identity and publish his autobiography. He told Radio Times magazine that the presenter was not supportive of him in his own clash with the corporation. And he said that the BBC2 show could continue to succeed without him. Claim: Ben Collins (left), the racing driver who was The Stig (right) on Top Gear for eight years, has said that the BBC show could thrive without the embattled Jeremy Clarkson . The stuntman stated: 'Top Gear has achieved huge status and Jeremy has certainly been part of that because he's got such a big personality... he's an unstoppable force. 'But fans of the programme love it for lots of different reasons. Jeremy is certainly one of them, but not the only one,' Collins, who was The Stig until 2011, said. 'The Bond franchise.... changes and moves forward. Top Gear will always continue.... It will carry on and continue to be successful because millions of people watch it.' Mr Collins said that it had become harder for the show 'to reinvent itself', as it was 'possibly starting to strain under the weight of its own success'.
Perry McCarthy was the show's resident racing driver from 2002 to 2003 . He said Clarkson was 'loose cannon' but a genius, and show needs him . Clarkson's future at BBC is in doubt after he allegedly punched a producer . McCarthy said: 'I think he's God's gift to broadcasting,  a brilliant journalist'