Michael Schumacher revealed as Top Gear's Stig

[vectraguy01]

FORMULA One legend Michael Schumacher has been unveiled as "the Stig", the mystery man who test drives cars on British cult motoring show Top Gear.

The identity of the white-clad driver is kept a closely guarded secret, but Schumacher, who was Formula One world drivers' champion seven times, finally revealed himself in the first of a new series of the show on Sunday night.

See photos in Daily Mail

The Stig took off his white helmet to loud cheers from the studio audience, revealing himself to be Schumacher.

Presenter Jeremy Clarkson pretended not to recognise him at first, asking him what he used to do before he became famous as the Stig, but then excitedly shouted to the studio audience: "It's Michael Schumacher!"


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Former Formula One driver Perry McCarthy was Top Gear's original Stig, who dressed all in black during the first two series.

The show is shown in more than 100 countries worldwide.

More than one: Top Gear's The Stig is eight drivers

The original Stig was axed from the show after British racing-car driver Perry McCarthy revealed his identity in an autobiography in 2002.

In January, media reports had claimed Stig was Ben Collins, who featured as a stuntman in the James Bond film Quantum of Solace.

- with Reuters

What do you think? Do you believe it?

[PaulyJ]

Possible... wouldn't be suprised really.

[sooty]

Wasn't he still a full time f1 driver though whilst he was meant to be the stig? i wouldn't have thought he'd had the time.

[hazrd]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxk6Mox_byg

[Shay]

non believer

[Nurb608]

He's not the stig, it's a stunt. They used him to test drive a ferrari around the test track. The car that was tested was michaels personal car and the only one in black, can't remember the model but no one except him was allowed to drive it.

[Jerram]

I'm sure in time there will be "expert" youtube comparisons between the two figures and I'll wait for them before giving my judgment.

[sooty]

I'm sure in time there will be "expert" youtube comparisons between the two figures and I'll wait for them before giving my judgment.

lol..from memory the guy you see as the stig is generally pretty tall, and also from memory michael is really short?
edit: not as short as i thought, still only 5'8 though, maybe he was just standing next to coulthard when i saw him :lol:

[gman]

100% guaranteed not true....

Schumacher would never had had the time to do all the testing, driving etc to be the Stig.

Purely a publicity stunt because so much has been made of it in the last series.

One of the other "Stig's" was definatly the stunt driver Ben Collins and another was Stunt Driver Terry Grant....

[gman]

I'm sure in time there will be "expert" youtube comparisons between the two figures and I'll wait for them before giving my judgment.

Someones already done that with the Stig seemingly shrinking and growing a couple of inches here and there.


lol..from memory the guy you see as the stig is generally pretty tall, and also from memory michael is really short?

Thats another reason its 100% its not him...

[poita]

i call bs

[Nurb608]

Have a read of this.

http://www.vxronline.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=54803&highlight=michael

[btm]

got people talking again at least :D

[Brucey]

got people talking again at least :D


Thats the whole idea really to keep the myth of the stig going.

Just a stunt to keep people guessing and talking about it.

The "Stig" in the Aston vs Porsche race (Britian vs Germany episode) was not Michael Schumacher. There is a part near the end where the visor is up and it is clearly not Michael Schumacher.

On a side note i saw a old TG episode Car Football with the Aygos and Ben Collins(revealed stig before) was one of the drivers.

[glider]

having just watched the episode I will say nothing... :D theres more to it

lets just say at the end of the episode jeremy may say something along the lines of 'i dont think michael is the stig'

[poita]

go on Toby......

[gman]

Not having seen the episode, but read a lot of posts and spoken to friends that have seen it, I believe it has more to do with a certain car that was driven on the test track more than anything else...

Hence the inclusion of Mr. Schumacher...

NB: This was intentionally kept vague to prevent spoilers.....

[Nurb608]

Not having seen the episode, but read a lot of posts and spoken to friends that have seen it, I believe it has more to do with a certain car that was driven on the test track more than anything else...

Hence the inclusion of Mr. Schumacher...

NB: This was intentionally kept vague to prevent spoilers.....

No one look at the link i put in then, it will spoil it for you :p

[Shay]

No one look at the link i put in then, it will spoil it for you :p

good thing i only read the first page ;)

[gman]

No one look at the link i put in then, it will spoil it for you :p

I did and it did... ;)

But thats OK, I went and spoke to friends because I couldn't wait till tonight to watch it, even after the spoilers... :D

[dieselhead]

Yeah, thanks a lot for spoiling it by saying everything about it in the title... :(
I haven't watched the episode yet, but not that I know who's the Stig, what's the point?

[sooty]

Yeah, thanks a lot for spoiling it by saying everything about it in the title... :(
I haven't watched the episode yet, but not that I know who's the Stig, what's the point?

because it's still worth watching....you'll see after having watched it, don't worry :) (i'm trying not to say too much here, you'll just have to watch it to see what i mean)

[poita]

hes not the stig, its just about getting in the crowds.

watch the episode, it will explain why he was on ;)

[Manda88]

its a fake easily, they have been doing this for past few years, not to this level but of having an 'interview'... but yeh it was done last year that a touring car driver blurted that he was the stig while drunk and topgear website started going along with idea of pointing at certain people being the stig, they even did nelson piquet senior who as i recall is a retired old man :p.. other suspisions they released was a pro-drive test driver, lotus test driver who designed the track.. or it was a mixture of drivers possible clarkson.. then there was suspision it was acctually tiff at one point...they've been doing it for a while so easily a fake but kudos to the team for making people go hmm maybe..


p.s. note stig lost a lot of weight over the off season ;) and walks different also he has a longer neck :p

also yeh thats michaels personal car, it was more than likely just to get an interview and a test of the FXX on their track, cause ferrari dont let them leave their track/museum, so i imagine schuey pulled some strings as ferrari are in his debt a fair bit lol :p

also yes he was working for F1 at time he started top gear

[ChrisMaz]

Michaels too tall to be the Stig anyway.

[Shay]

Michaels too tall to be the Stig anyway.

other way round dude ;)

[ChrisMaz]

other way round dude ;)

Ahahah true that. Too tired for this crap. :o

[Wraith]

The last time this happened, it was because that Stig didn't want the gig anymore and that was he's retirement or exit stunt to show his face - maybe Shue wants out too...

So there's another new Stig now :)

There's been lots of them IMO as you can easily tell from the different builds and heights of them over the years...

I reckon TGA's Stig is good ol Skaife :D

[hazrd]

I reckon TGA's Stig is good ol Skaife :D

they would need a special helmet so his nose would fit in it

[poita]

they would need a special helmet so his nose would fit in it

kinda like this?

http://www.japanese-noh-masks.com/gigaku_mask_big_nose_1/gigaku_mask_big_nose_2.jpg

[Wraith]

they would need a special helmet so his nose would fit in it

Hahahahaha LOL :lol:

I still reckon it's him, the height and build match up, he's retirement from V8 supercars matches up and he's probably the best available all round driver on offer here in Aust. too, a perfect Stig for us :)

Unless of course Mark Weber's got the gig......

[sooty]

Hahahahaha LOL :lol:

I still reckon it's him, the height and build match up, he's retirement from V8 supercars matches up and he's probably the best available all round driver on offer here in Aust. too, a perfect Stig for us :)

Unless of course Mark Weber's got the gig......

Perhaps Simon Evans, or someone else from the ARC

[poita]

jsut on carsguide

http://carsguide.news.com.au/site/news-and-reviews/story/schumacher_fakes_top_gear_stig/?referrer=email


Michael Schumacher has tried to pass himself off as The Stig in a British episode of Top Gear.

In the latest of a series of stunts designed to cover the fact that another Stig – race and stunt driver Ben Collins — has blown his cover, Jeremy Clarkson introduced the Stig and had him remove his helmet, revealing the former F1 champ underneath.

However those who have seen the footage of the show says the Shumacher Stig drove erratically, stalled the Reasonably Priced Car, and nearly crashed into the camera crew.

Earlier this year, Collins was outed as the current Stig, after ordering a print run of posters showing the mysterious ‘tame test driver’.

His stint as The Stig follows that of former F1 driver Perry McCarthy – the black Stig – who outed himself and then supposedly disappeared into the ocean after a stunt drive off an aircraft carrier .

A video on Youtube earlier this year showing a Black Stig reappearing from the sea off Britain suggested that the black firesuit may return.

It seems likely that the Shumacher ‘outing’ is a typical Top Gear stunt — highly unlikely to be true – concocted by the show’s producers and probably seen by Shumacher as a fun way to fill in an idle hour.

[gman]

Oz Stig could be Warren LUFF...He does a fair bit of racing but doesn;t have a full time drive...

Or one of the ex Carrera cup/GT/Nations Cup racers.....

There's plenty to choose from...In the off season Oz TG might do a Mark Webber is the Stig thing....

[ROCCO]

I just watched the episode with schuey...and that Ferrari FXX....OH MY GOD....*MULTIPLE PANTS EXPLOSIONS*

[gman]

Its the sound for me....AWESOME!!!! :D

[btm]

anyone know when TGUK is back on here?

[poita]

first ep only aired on sunday in the UK, so a while yet i would say

[Wraith]

and that Ferrari FXX....OH MY GOD....*MULTIPLE PANTS EXPLOSIONS*

Welcome to my World :D

I feel relieved others suffer from the same thing LOL :lol:

[ROCCO]

Welcome to my World :D

I feel relieved others suffer from the same thing LOL :lol:


The noise...the glowing discs.....and I just jizzed in my pants

[alts]

Just watched this. Really enjoyed the episode. Batmans car was just woww.

[Manda88]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrt1pH2nGMs&feature=popular


proof hes not german!

[xplosv57]

I reckon TGA's Stig is good ol Skaife :D

Yep have said this for a while now, watch him test driving a normal car, then watch the Aus Stig drive, very similar driving technique, lots of steering movement, and elbows sticking out!!

But that FXX that is some noise coming out of that thing, pity you spend all that cash and can't take it home!!

[ROCCO]

i'd get them to take to the track...then pay the security guard to leave the gates open then drive it home what are they going to say...he stole his car