Ok, i'm no fan of Clarkson - he was and is a classic example (from back in the days before it became common internet and social cool practice) of the arrogant sort who would pull someone/something to pieces just because he could, and justifies his actions (in an unspoken way) with the 'its what everyone really thinks' argument.
Now in fairness, he has written some decent stuff, and back in the day when he was very much the junior upstart in classic TG, he was a necessary balance to what was often a very much series that lacked the sense of humour that goes with motoring and the quirky degrees of variation in characters amongst fans, drivers and those involved in the design and production.
But quite frankly, if his suspension isn't lifted and he's out the TG door for good, it won't be a bad thing - after all whilst TG has become more people-orientated that class and status orientated since it was resurrected in the CMH lineup style, it's also become very much a JC playground (especially the challenges, which admittedly are part of the magic of the show even if they are somewhat daft and rigged in degrees).
Personally, if he's out the door and TG continues - sure, keep May & Hammond, and get that female German race driver (Sabine Schmitt i think it was) involved or someone proactively involved who's got a driver's spirit that's not all schoolboy-playground bluster fuelled. She showed more interest and enthusiasm in that one challenge (racing a Transit around the old Nurnburgring) than Clarkson ever showed in anything that wasn't all about him.
My thoughts aimed at him specifically would be -> 'Sorry, JC, but it's time to grow up and take responsibility for your actions - greater and lesser people in broadcasting than you have lost careers over less 'offenses' than you commit on a regular basis in broadcasting and your columns, so there's no reason why you should be getting the petition and mass support, not when others who equally got suspended or sacked over much less, were victims of trying to do what was right rather than through a personal sense of 'i am right irrespective' which you employ.'
Of course he'll never see that bit i wrote on here, but it's what i'd have said to him as a colleague if i was still in broadcasting.