While Jeremy Clarkson might have just revealed the true identity of The Stig, there was one moment in time where the entire world thought that title belonged to Ferrari’s legendary Formula One champion, Michael Schumacher.

It was a staggering 15 years ago now that Top Gear teased the idea of revealing the identity of the man behind the iconic white crash helmet.

With Top Gear on top of the world through its presenting trio Richard Hammond, James May, and Clarkson, The Stig had also firmly established within the British pop culture psyche. Just who exactly was the man behind the mask?

Schumacher is The Stig, apparently

German racing superstar Michael Schumacher, now 55, was revealed as The Stig back in 2009, leaving viewers wide-eyed and opened mouthed at the idea that it had been him all along.

The revelation was made when The Stig was invited to be a guest for Top Gear’s iconic ‘star in a reasonably priced car’ segment, where Clarkson would interview a celebrity about car-related topics before watching a clip of them doing a lap of the Top Gear race track in a standard family car (Suzuki Liana, iconic).

Schumacher did a lap in the Liana but did not finish, with Clarkson saying he had ‘got lost’.

“I don’t think Michael Schumacher is The Stig,” Clarkson told the audience and viewers at home.

Moments before Schumacher was unmasked as The Stig (BBC)

Why Schumacher was ‘revealed’ as The Stig

There are a few reasons Schumacher was revealed as the iconic man in white.

Then 40, Schumacher was not racing in any capacity after suffering a neck injury from a motorbike accident, so his schedule will have been pretty free.

In the months after the show, he almost returned to the Ferrari F1 team following an injury to then team racing driver Felipe Massa but this fell apart due to the German’s injury.

The ‘revelation’ was also the first episode of the nineteenth season of Top Gear, so it is accepted by some that it was an editorial decision to increase viewership and make the clip go viral in an age before going viral was really a thing. Top Gear was hot property and always looking to go bigger and better.

One source told the Guardian at the time: “It was a tongue-in-cheek piece which wasn’t meant to be taken seriously.

“The Stig is merely a character.”

The Stig ‘unmasked’ (BBC)

Did Ferrari play a part?

Before Schumacher was revealed as The Stig, the man in white took a lap around the Top Gear test track in the £1 million rated Ferrari FXX.

After finishing the lap, the FXX recorded the fastest ever power lap time on the show’s test track, seven seconds quicker than the previous number one.

And the man who drove it? Yep, Schumacher himself.

Reports suggested that Ferrari trusted no one more than their own man who had won seven F1 titles with them over the span of a decade; a stance that no doubted influenced the creative juices at the BBC when it came to the entire ‘revelation’ segment that has gone down in British TV history.

The Stig back in 2009 on the Top Gear Live tour (Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

Who is the real Stig?

During a recent Q&A at his newly opened Cotswolds pub, Clarkson revealed the real men behind the black visor.

“The original Stig was Perry McCarthy, followed by Ben Collins, followed by Phil Keen,” he said.

“There isn’t a current Top Gear so there isn’t a current Stig, but the last one was Phil Keen.”

Keen, aged 40, is a racing driver and the most successful driver in British GT history, meaning he clearly has the talent to live up to the reputation of the fictional character.

It has been 10 years since Formula One legend Michael Schumacher suffered a terrible accident while skiing which left him with life changing injuries.

On 29 December, 2013 Schumacher and his son had been skiing in the French Alps when he fell and hit his head, cracking his safety helmet.

Schumacher was airlifted to hospital in Grenoble and placed in a medically induced coma, which he was later brought out of in 2014.

Since then he’s been recovering at his home with his family, who have kept details about his condition sparse.

A family lawyer had previously said that a health report about Schumacher’s condition was not made public in order to protect ‘private matters’.

Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Felix Damm said a final report was considered, but not released to the public as that would not have been the end of interest in his recovery, and there would have been subsequent request for updates anyway.

Friends and family have spoken about Schumacher’s condition from time to time following his accident.

In Netflix documentary Schumacher his wife Corrina said: “I mean, everybody misses Michael, but Michael is here.

“Different, but he’s here and that gives us strength, I find. We try to carry on a family as Michael liked it and still does. And we are getting on with our lives.

“‘Private is private’, as he always said. It is very important to me that he can continue to enjoy his private life as much as possible.”

His brother and former fellow F1 driver Ralf said he missed ‘the Michael of the old days’, and even though ‘nothing is like it used to be’ he did add that ‘advanced medical science provides many opportunities’.

STR/AFP via Getty Images

Ralf said the accident had ‘changed’ the family, and said it had been a ‘significant experience’ for everyone but particularly Michael and Corrina’s children.

Michael’s son Mick, who has followed his father into motorsports, posted a tribute to his dad where he said he thought his father would understand him differently now he’s gone into racing.

Schumacher’s friend and former Ferrari boss Jean Todt is one of his regular visitors and said they had been able to watch F1 together.

“I don’t miss Michael, I see him. Yes, it’s true, I watch races with Michael. But sure, I guess what I miss is what we used to do together,” Todt said of his friend.

The full extent of the 54-year-old’s condition may not be entirely clear, but that information belongs to his closest family and friends.

Today is Michael Schumacher’s 55th birthday and it has now been over 10 years since the Formula One legend suffered his horrific skiing accident.

Rushed to hospital and placed in a medically induced coma, Schumacher later came out of his coma and since then he has been recovering at his family home, with details about his condition not released to protect ‘private matters’.

His family and friends have spoken a few times about his health in the past decade, with his wife Corrina saying they ‘try to carry on a family as Michael liked it and still does’.

Schumacher’s brother and fellow former F1 driver Ralf said that ‘nothing is like it used to be’, though he added that ‘advanced medical science provides many opportunities’.

His former Ferrari boss Jean Todt said that when he visited the Schumachers, which he did regularly, they would watch F1 together.

Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Something Schumacher said before his accident turned out to be chillingly prescient.

Back when he was still racing, this time with the Mercedes team instead of the iconic Ferrari setup that he enjoyed so much success with, Schumacher made his will.

Speaking to a German magazine at the time, he explained it wasn’t because he had returned to the fast-paced and dangerous world of F1.

Instead Schumacher said it was ‘less about Formula One’ and instead ‘because of the things that can happen in everyday life’.

Considering he competed in such a dangerous sport for years where crashes do happen and lives can sometimes be lost, Schumacher was right to also be worried about what could happen away from the racing track.

VINCENZO PINTO/AFP via Getty Images

Schumacher is still well thought of by those who met him, with former Top Gear Stig Perry McCarthy praising the F1 legend’s sense of humour and his ‘real big heart’.

He demonstrated both by appearing on Top Gear and pretending to be the latest iteration of The Stig, including a comedy lap round the track where he got lost.

Fans of F1 will remember his incredible achievements on the track, winning seven world championships and plenty of races with Benneton and Ferrari.

Meanwhile, McCarthy also praised Schumacher for his charity work and suggested that had it not been for the ski accident he could have done something incredible in his capacity as a UNESCO ambassador.

He also said that what made Schumacher truly great was his ‘exceptional’ commitment to racing, as the seven time world champion had the dedication to stick with a team and build them into the best of the best.

Michael Schumacher’s friend has opened up about the ‘beautiful memories’ he shares with him while discussing his shock about how a ‘harmless trip’ left the F1 legend with life-changing injuries.

On 29 December, 2013, Schumacher was airlifted to hospital and placed in a medically induced coma after he sustained a horrific head injury while skiing in the French Alps with his son Mick.

Schumacher, now 55, spent 250 days in a coma and has faced a gruelling recovery process ever since, although the details of his condition remain unclear due to his family’s wish for privacy.

The accident marked the end of his life in the spotlight and the racing icon hasn’t been seen in public for over a decade.

His nearest and dearest have only shared updates on his health a handful of times, with his wife Corinna explaining that they are trying to ‘carry on as a family as Michael liked it, and still does’.

In the 2021 Netflix documentary Schumacher, she said: “And we are getting on with our lives. ‘Private is private’, as he always said. It is very important to me that he can continue to enjoy his private life as much as possible.”

Ex-Ferrari boss Jean Todt is one of the few people outside of blood relatives who has access to Schumacher, as he previously revealed he visits the star twice a month and watches races with him.

Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

It’s clear that the skiing incident transformed the racing driver’s life dramatically, as well as his family’s.

Schumacher’s pal, Norbert Haug, has now opened up about how he struggled to understand how Schumacher ended up sustaining grave head injuries while skiing off-piste and wearing a protective helmet – which cracked on impact.

But according to the former Mercedes chief, the German racing ace would always play it safe on the slopes.

Haug told news outlet Bild: “Of course, it’s a shame what happened on a really harmless ski trip. I can promise that Michael was not a risk-taking skier.

“He was particularly careful when skiing and, in my opinion, had things under control very, very well. That was a real misfortune. Unfortunately, unfortunately.”

STR/AFP via Getty Images

The 71-year-old then discussed the cherished memories he shared with Schumacher, as well as how they went from ‘fierce rivals’ to fast friends.

Haug continued: “There are so many beautiful memories, so many private and human ones away from the racetrack.

“Michael was always really tough on the track, but really friendly and funny off the track and also liked to party. I have wonderful memories of him.”

He also heaped praise on Schumacher’s wife for taking charge of his care, saying that he has the ‘greatest respect’ for Corinna and that ‘there are no words’ to describe what she has done for her spouse.

Haug added that he stays in close contact with the F1 icon’s manager, Sabine Kehm, to keep tabs on his condition.

He said: “If anything should happen, we know we can contact each other. But I clearly also want to respect privacy. And Corinna does it as well as one can do in such a very difficult situation. Totally, totally admirable.”