Chris Evans has quit 'Top Gear'

Chris Evans, the new lead presenter of "Top Gear", has announced he is quitting the show after just one series.

In a tweet, Evans said he "gave it my best shot but sometimes that's not enough."

The show's ratings last night slid to their lowest of the new series on Sunday night as Evans and co-hosts Matt LeBlanc, Rory Reid, and Sabine Schmitz failed to match the audiences amassed by previous hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May, who are now presenting their own car show for Amazon. 

Clarkson was sacked from the show last year for his involvement in a "fracas" with one of the show's producers.

Sunday night's show on BBC Two pulled in just 1.9 million viewers - only 8.6% of the possible audience - as 6.6 million people instead opted to watch the Euro 2016 clash between France and Iceland, the BBC reported. 

A source told Business Insider that Evans had handed in his resignation to BBC Studios director Mark Linsey last week. The source said there are no plans to replace Evans at this time.

In a statement provided by The BBC, Linsey said: "Chris is stepping down from his duties on Top Gear. He says he gave it his best shot doing everything he could to make the show a success. He firmly believes that the right people remain, on both the production team and presenting team to take the show forward and make it the hit we want it to be. The new series has so far notched up over 30m views in the UK alone and has already been sold to 130 territories worldwide."

In a statement, Evans said: "I have never worked with a more committed and driven team than the team I have worked with over the last twelve months. I feel like my standing aside is the single best thing I can now do to help the cause. I remain a huge fan of the show, always have been, always will be. I will continue to focus on my radio show and the allied events that it encompasses."

Evans has been criticized by fans and critics for his presenting style. The Guardian said of his debut: "Chris Evans needs to relax and stop trying so hard to be Jeremy Clarkson."

His decision to leave "Top Gear" will not affect his other BBC commitments, including his BBC Radio 2 breakfast show, CarFest, the Children in Need charity event, and the 500 Words story competition.

Earlier on Monday, the Metropolitan Police confirmed it was investigating Evans after a woman alleged he had sexually assaulted her in the 1990s, The Telegraph reported. 

More to follow.