I don’t watch Top Gear, but I know Clarkson from his books and various other appearances (QI, especially), and I’ve been following these stories off and on. It feels like they’ve been provoking him lately – maybe they figured he must eventually blow his top, and then they’d garner some sympathy (instead of hostility) for firing him.
I mean, the producer he assaulted is, what, a third his age? It must have been incredibly aggravating for Clarkson to be handled by some kid who he didn’t respect. Not that he should have responded the way he did, but it was fairly predictable.
This is who Clarkson is, and always has been. The BBC has always known this, and the fans should as well. People can’t just cluck and say “Oh, what are you like!” forever. Eventually, you run out of excuses for someone’s bad behaviour, even if they are entertaining.