So the mystery is solved, for now, and the man in white has finally peeled off his helmet and proved he is actually human. Well, proved he’s Michael Schumacher at least, which is pretty close to human.
For those who missed it yesterday, first click through our list of possible suspects, then hold your breath and click here for the man in white’s true identity.
But here’s a little something extra. In this exclusive video Schumacher talks with TG’s Jason Barlow on all things Ferrari, Top Gear and our infamous test track.
Enjoy…
So what do you think of the great reveal? Something tells us this tale is far from over…
That is crap!!! Its one of those things which makes the show… It should have been kept a secret, There is no longer any need to keep “The Stig”
Except on a Dutch TV show, the stig was interviewed, and he spoke with an english accent. I suspect that the Stig is Ben Collins, but you never know….
All may not be what it seems…. stay tuned for more!
It is Michael Schumacher
It isn’t Michael… Jezza is good friends with Ferrari and this is just a stunt.
It is called mis-direction . . . catch up.
A cover for the the outing of Ben Collins Schumacher not the first to guest as a stig surely… Damon Hill was a former stig check out some of his post F1 car driving techniques especially his twitchy left hand!
Its all a smoke screen…..just to keep everyone talking. Think like a politician.
Michael doesn’t have the time to this..anyway he is too tall and has a different body structure to older differing clips of the STIG. I think they done this only as a ferrari was being tested, to spice up the show.
This is entertainment TV you know
I have all the stigs gear, helmet, gloves, suit, boots. IT has cost me over $4000AUD. it blows the people away at the kart track when I rock in it.
but I agree the stig should be left a mystery. and schuey has 1 of the the 30 fxx made, hence why he drove it. I believe ben collins is the real one as he has the right body structure and he also has plenty of exp in his resume.
They should have put him in the Liana that would prove if he is the Stig or not.
Entertaining non the less…
Why if the Stig was revealed as Schumacher would they have put The Stig in the shows credits and Michael Schumacher as a Special Guest?
Smoke and mirrors kids,smoke and mirrors.
What a great way to get millions of viewers!
Bravo TG good stunt! But please NEVER reveal hwo the real stig is, keep us guessing.
wat a load of hog wash they would never reveal the stigs true identity
from wht ive heard, UK Top Gear is in its last season….hence revelation of the Stig. But quit the theories of who may have been the stig……its Michael and thats it. i dont think that BBC will come back next episode and reveal the real/another stig……that be bad TV…..and honestly, who is greater than Schuey? (most well known) To put a (without offence to other drivers) “lesser” driver like Ben Collins (havent heard of him anyway) woulld be quite rubbush. Its all TV
it dont matter if they reveal the stig. it could be anyone but as long as they wear that suit its the stig. it wont be top gear without the stig in it.
I feel like i have been set up and DE-FACED! How dare they pull a trick like that! TOP GEAR will be hearing from my lawyers…
you’ve ruined Top Gear by unieling the stig
they might get a new stig
now get rid of d stig since we all know “who he is” surely no point watching d show anymore
reading these comments…i’m confused…
is this the real stig or not!?
if it is, i’m really angry…
i think this is a publicty stunt for tg i doubt that michael is the stig they would not reveal the identity of the stig
Don’t worry he’s not really the stig. It’s just a good way to introduce Michael into the chair to be interviewed by Clarkson. Hasn’t the real Stig already accidently revealed himself anyway. *Cough* Ben Collins *Cough*. But I’ll always see the Stig as a faceless character that will always be a mystery, unless I see the real man in white reveal himself in front of me.
Michael is way faster than the real Stig. The fact that the lap time was 7 seconds faster than all the other supercars isn’t down to the Ferrari being so quick, it’s because of a superior driver. He makes the real Stig look very average! This is also further proof that they use more than one driver to play the Stig depending on the car being driven – manufacturers aren’t going to let just anyone thrash their very expensive loaned cars around the track.
I always believed it was Damon Hill. For a while I thought Nigel Mansell was the Stig. I bet the Stig is really a persona, and it could have been all the people we thought. This is just a stunt.
dont worry- only a stunt-micheal schumacer being the stig, i call that nearly impossible!
The stig lives on, it aint Schumacher, it would be a fine thing if it was…….
But its not.
His awesomeness… let’s not kid ourselves not in a million episodes would they ever reveal the Stig or even the Stigs.
The stig is not schumacher. It lives on.
They woud not reveal the stig in a million years. It is one of the best kept serets in the bbc.
Also just thought about it… maybe Ferrari is onto something, a deal maybe or just propping-up more fans and customers to the brand.. maybe F1 related.
i think it is a surprise but it definately ruined the heart of the show… or it could get better u never know
but ill always be a huge fan!
Oh boo hoo, they revealed the Stig, which may or may not be true. I’m not watching the show anymore wah wah wah. Whoever watched purely for the Stig knows less in total than the Stig does about ducks and should be illegal in all 5 states and territories of Australia, then sent to Tasmania to breed with other two headed family members.
Honestly, the show’s about Jezza, Captain Slow and Hamster, their ability to show cars in a cinematic and blokey fashion, not about a suit preceeded by a one liner.
As a note, the Ferrari FXX used is Schumacher’s own, as he’s the only one to own it in that colour, so it is right to speculate that he was only there to Stig-pilot his multi-million dollar gift from Fezza. Either way, brilliant stunt.
I didn’t watch it but when I read it on the teletext I was shocked & surprised.
They’ve ruined Top Gear.
If u remember the show had a black STIG till 2003 who was sacked for revealing his identity. Since then a white STIG came on who supposedly is Schumacher. That is hard to believe as he was still racing then and was the highest paid athlete in the world in 2004 with earnings in excess of 70 million that year. There is no way that Jeremy and his boys could foot the bill. To put things into perspective, a German investment outfit inked an $8 million, three-year deal to have him wear a 4-inch ad on the baseball cap he wears before and after the races. Ferrari paid him $35 million a year base salary. To have him test drive cars for a tv show…PRICELESS!! Take a walk Jeremy and Co..
Shit super i knew he was loaded but not that much!!
No ms is not the stig,If anyone my money is on damon hill!!
but really i dont care who is !! – i reckon there is a few of them anyway
Agree with SinisterX and Super, the white stig has been a multitude of different test drivers from the various car companies, with one main driver to test the standard, slightly less expensive cars.
And truly, the show is more about the cars and the trio of Clarkson, Slow and Hamster.
Who never knew that? I mean Schuey is still a racer and i was telling everyone in school yesterday it would be him. Its common sense really, who would ever be as good as him? No one cause he is my hero from the time i was born and made his debut for Formula One. Go Schuey.
Schuey is no more the Stig than I am! His car, he gets to drive it. Great publicity stunt. My money is on Ben Collins or Damon Hill (Nigel’s a bit long in the tooth and Keke doesn’t have a pommy accent)
Who cares, the Stig drives like a big pussy and Clarkson looks like an ass.
Being the Stig is like being Prime Minister or the king – it might be Schumacher today, but who’s to say that there won’t be different Stig in the future?
What is everybody talking about?
The Stig’s real identity is….. The Stig!
The ‘helmet’ doesn’t come off, that’s what his head looks like!
Bravo to TG though, this is fun!
The only important thing about the Stig is that he gives consistent lap times. It doesn’t matter if he’s not actually the fastest driver in the world…
That said, he clearly is the fastest driver in the world, which is why it was such an honour for Herr Schumacher to be allowed to pretend to be him for a day.
Also, it must be remembered, speculation about his identity has existed for years – there was a time (I think when Jensen was on?) when Clarkson said the Stig doesn’t always wear white, implying it was Schumi (though I don’t believe Schumi’s good enough to be a Stig! ;-P ).
BUT MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL – Why doesn’t the YouTube Video work for me? It tells me that it’s a private video, and that if I’ve been sent the video by a friend, then I should make sure I accept the friend’s invitation. Can anyone explain that for me..?
Its disappointing that us Australian viewers have to wait until SBS feel like showing the UK version.
I feel cheated because this big moment was revealed to me on the internet as well as a newspaper article so its a little hard to avoid.
I would’ve much rather have seen it while watching the actual episode. I can’t wait for SBS to show the episodes but telling us whats going on so far in the new series doesn’t help matters. Either show the episodes now or don’t tell us about them.
bullshit
Pyro you’re a dick the stig does all the power laps, and besides it’s fake Shumacher ain’t it.
im realy like mikle shoumacker and he shouldnt of quit f1
Nice one Mike
If you guys saw the episode, Schumi is not the stig…the stig does not get lost around the track, as Schumi did in the Liana
its out hey?
its definatly not him, and becides, who cares who the stig is we don need to klnow who it is, leave it a mistery, the stig is the stig, a driving god, i like to think that the stig is a sprit or somthing like that, that lives in the suit, when any normal person gets into the stig suit they chanal his stigness and turn into the stig – its like being posessed, some say the man who doned the suit first went mad and ate his cats toe nails and that his burps are the reason for global warming, all we know is…hes called the stig.
Is it rely the last season of Top Gear Uk?
The reason schumi didn’t do a Lliana lap is the same reason he’s not The Stig – he’s not allowed to drive the Suzuki! Watch the Race of Champions- he’s only allowed to drive the Fiat group cars.
It can’t be Shuey as we all know Stig is not really a human
I’m a big TGUK fan and I really don’t think Michael Schumacher is ‘The Stig’. When I saw the video, I looked at it over and over and some of the little things don’t match up, like the way he sat….
I somehoe dont think schuey would have the time while working for the ferrari F1 team.
Why is it that I cant watch this video!!!!!! it comes up this is a private video when ever i want to watch it. Ive already see a torrent of the episode I just want to see what he says about formula 1.
Why would you deprive us of seeing this video
OK people, Schumacher is NOT the Stig, never has been, and was only playing Stig for this episode.
The boys admit this at the end, in their words they made it all up. Anyone with two brain cells can work that out, but they explicitly state it. So quit with the “boo hoo I’m never watching TG again”
Of course I haven’t seen the episode myself, being in Australia and all, but my umm… cousin, from Bristol told me all about it. Ed is his name, Ed Teach…
; )
i think its cool to find out who the stig was or the english version of him anyway haha. we now have proof that he is the stig and i will watch the show with even more respect than before because shuey is behind the wheel same cannot be said for the idots on australian version.
im with aussiestig here
shuey is alegend
but unlike aussiestig i belive micheal s macher isn’t the stig
aussiestig is right
respect shuey for shuey
but the stig is the stig
i think it was just a publicty stunt to boost the ratings even thou i like shumy i dont think its him plus i like it being a mytery who is the stig we will never know i love top gear
MICHAEL IS NOT THE STIG…….the only reason he was there was because the car was there.
Come on as if ferrari would let an unknown drive a car they wont let people even take ome with them. Michael driving it was a condition of it being on the show…..and because topgear has been under some heat abobut the stig they used this opportunity to cause speculation.
ps. THE FERRARI IS NOT A ROAD CAR, THUS SHOULD NOT BE ON THE POWER LAP BOARD
Why can’t i watch the video???
I’m just waiting for the next episode to see if they elaborate on the point! Either way, I still feel as if this was a bit premature to show ‘the stig’ – and therefore my thoughts are that he was just a ’special guest’.
I also believe that ‘The Stig’ is just one identity – considering the consistency of the lap times across all different cars. And also considering the consistency of the feedback from the celebs. It’s not about the car, it’s about the driver and his knowledge of the track. For those of you who say that these big manufacturers won’t allow for an ‘unknown’ driver to drive their cars – are you kidding yourselves? Each Top Gear episode costs in excess of $1M pounds to create, as if parts of this wouldn’t go towards insurance of their property etc. I think it is the ONE guy/girl – and he/she has done a great job of being ‘The Stig’ for so long!!
And yes, if you observe carefully, Schuey’s body-language contrasts other videos of the the Stig. My final thoughts are that it he is NOT the Stig.
C’mon TGUK – drop another bombshell on us come Episode 2!!! Love your work!
Cheers,
Dave
No the real stig just announced himself on here – its spandau tango (by his own admission)
just go along with it ,you know no loud noises!!
.
yes,retards,schumaker and i were made in the same mold,we are both stigs.
I can’t watch the clip.
“This clip is private.”
its good to see brits showing schumacher some respect after all these years
As if the germ’s could win.
Pommy stig, nuff said.
Schumie was here to drive the Ferrari FXX of which there are only 30 and cost one million pounds each . Therefore top gears insurers and Ferrari wanted a known top class driver (I`m sure everyone will agree Michael is that) and because no one knows who The Stig is the insurance company didn`t want to underwrite a 1 million pound car.
If you want to watch the episode try youtube season 13 episode 1 it`s a seven parter. it`s on parts 4 and 5
jezza you’re right on. Also a bit of bacardi rum sponsorship pressure in there too.
Topgear fools its loyal subjects once again!! For all i care the stig could be Rambo!! Who would know ay?
Ferrari would not let just anyone drive an fxx. Schuey was the stig for the fxx lap only. back when he was still f1 He would not have had time to go to the TGUK set every week.
To Those people who think that the ferrari fxx should be taken off the board because it is a racing car dont worry. It was running on slick tyres and has been taken of anyway.
i think that the stig should not of be shown it has now made the show less funny like when JC makes a comment about THE STIG but wat about the Auzzie stig who is he, my friend said that he is a BMW racer but who knows??
What a load of rubbish, Shuey is not The Stig. I’m with the rest The Stig is Ben Collins.
My guess for the Aussie Stig is Skaiffey.
doesn’t anyone know anything?the stig is a
white bald headed guy who is average looking,is a pom and the only reason i know this is i saw picture of him in a
landrover magazine doing up a short wheel base series 2 ladrover.