For almost 14 years The Stig [both in black and white forms] performed a vital role on Top Gear. Seeing as neither Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May had the skills required in order to lap cars quickly and consistently, Lord Stig’s ability to take care of that while remaining anonymous and unbiased was an essential part of the show. But soon his livelihood might be on the line…
Two of Top Gear’s new presenters, Chris Harris and Sabine Schmitz, are highly skilled drivers and will be more than a match for old Stiggy on the Top Gear test track. In the new series we’ll see Harris drive the new Aston Martin Vulcan hypercar at the Yas Marina F1 track in Abu Dhabi, and a source close to the show said that after getting behind the wheel of the 611kW [820hp] beast, Harris immediately got within four seconds of Aston Martin test driver Darren Turner’s best lap. Apparently lap after lap, he chipped away at the time until he reduced the margin to just two seconds. That’s on a circuit he didn’t know, driving a car he’d just gotten into.
Harris also has prior history of driving well in unfamiliar race cars, after he came second at the Goodwood Revival RAC TT driving a 1963 Lister Jaguar Coupe. He also won his race in the 2014 Le Mans Classic driving a Jaguar 1955 D-Type, which was pretty heroic given older machinery like the Jag often requires a much more delicate touch than modern racers. In an interview with Top Gear magazine he lists coming 11th in the Nurburgring 24 hours as one the best drives of his life.
But Sabine Schmitz can top that. Having grown up living just a few yards from the legendary Nurburgring circuit, she started racing there as soon as she was old enough, and eventually went on to win the Nurburgring 24 hours twice in a row, in 1996 and 1997. In 1998, she was crowned champion of the VLN, a 10-race series held exclusively at the Nurburgring, in which she competed against some of Germany’s best drivers. And between races, she worked as the driver of the Ring Taxi, giving passenger rides to paying guests in a BMW M5.
So where does this leave the Stig? Well his strengths are that he’s both famous and anonymous at once, plus Jeremy Clarkson once said it was a bonus that he couldn’t speak – “as racing drivers are often pretty dull talking about driving fast.”
We’re sure The Stig will always remain a part of Top Gear in one form or another, but more out of tradition rather than necessity. But with Harris and Schmitz in the presenter line-up he’s going to be sweating in that white race suit just a little more than before.
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Following on from our Who Is The Stig piece about Abbie Eaton from the Grand Tour, we thought it only sensible to look back at the chosen few to have donned those famously anonymous overalls. Ever wondered, Who was the Stig? Then read on, because we have compiled a list of all those who have had an accusatory finger pointed in their direction….
Perry McCarthy
- Racing credentials: 7.5/10
- Occupation: errr, the Stig?
- Likelihood: 10/10
A driver that we knew was the Stig because he wrote a book about it [Flat Out, Flat Broke: Formula 1 The Hard Way]. To those that grew up with the smell of Castrol R, you knew the original ‘black’ Stig was legit because he wore Stand 21 overalls. None of this AlpineStars stuff you see the playboys wearing. Sartorial style aside, Perry McCarthy had quite a career. Starting off life as a grease-monkey servicing oil-rigs to pay for his racing, Perry competed in Formula Ford, Formula 3, Formula 3000 [todays F2 equivalent], before making it to F1. In British F3 McCarthy raced against Damon Hill, Johnny Herbert, Mark Blundell, Julian Bailey and Martin Donnelly. There was no hiding against such illustrious company, and McCarthy held his own.
While he may have been a genuinely quick driver, funding was always difficult, and it didn’t get any easier once he made it to F1. Perry signed with the Andrea Moda F1 Team; a team that existed to advertise Italian shoes rather than to go motor-racing, and is roundly derided as the worst F1 Team ever. With such hideously aligned priorities, team and driver never got very far. Andrea Moda never gave Perry the equipment [or time, preparation, organisation, interest, ad nauseum] he needed to set a sensible qualifying time, and consequently never even got through pre-qualifying for a race. Another story of what-could-have-been. McCarthy gets an extra half-point on his racing credentials for being formally entered in an F1 race meeting [rather than just testing].
Perry McCarthy’s first Grand Prix race weekend was Brazil in 1992. Fancy watching the F1 at the Brazilian Grand Prix? Click here!
Click on the link to see Perry, failing to pre-qualify for the 1992 Monaco Grand Prix.
Damon Hill
- Racing credentials: 10/10
- Occupation: TV Pundit
- Likelihood: 5/10
Damon Hill’s early racing exploits gave little indication of to what would follow. Starting off life racing motorcycles, he made the switch to cars in the mid-1980’s showing speed that could only be described as ‘sporadic’. His 1987 British F3 campaign yielded 5th overall, 3rd overall the following year, and then into Formula 3000 for the next 3 years. As the team-mate to two of the greatest drivers ever to race in Formula One, Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, you would think that Hill would have his work cut out. But he rose to the challenge admirably, going on to beat another great [Michael Schumacher] to the title in 1996.
As for whether Damon Hill was ever the Stig, that’s a tricky one. He was mates with original-Stig, probably didn’t have the busiest schedule once his racing career was over, and seems like the sort of bloke that would enjoy getting stuck-in to such fun. However, even if he was the Stig, its feels more likely that this would have been as a stand-in rather than as a full time role. Why? Because when you’ve raced Formula One cars, even driving the fastest and most exotic road-going machinery probably feels pretty pedestrian.
Damon Hill’s first F1 Race was at the Spanish Grand Prix in 1922. Fancy a weekend at the Spanish Grand Prix? Check out our Spanish GP packages here.
Click on the link to see Damon Hill making Dominic Littlewood throw up.
Lewis Hamilton
- Racing credentials: 10/10
- Occupation: F1 Racing Driver
- Likelihood: 2/10
Is Lewis Hamilton the Greatest of All Time? Who cares. Was he the Stig? Now that is an interesting question. Unfortunately the answer is less interesting – probably not. Why? Well, judging by his Instagram account he appears to have quite a busy schedule. So spending an entire day on a dis-used airfield, teaching people to drive a reasonably-priced-car quickly is probably not a good use of time. Would he have been a good Stig? In all our years of watching Top Gear we have never seen anyone drive a Kia C’eed like Lewis Hamilton does. We suggest you watch the following as a lesson in how to drive a front-wheel-drive car quickly:
Lewis Hamiltons first Grand Prix win was the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix, so if you fancy a trip to Montreal then follow this link.
Click on the link to see Lewis Hamilton driving a reasonably priced car.
Michael Shumacher
- Racing credentials: 10/10
- Occupation: Retired
- Likelihood: 10/10
Who remembers when the Stig was formally presented to the world in front of a live studio audience? We certainly do. We could not believe that despite being one the greatest F1 drivers ever, Michael Schumacher had time to head to the Dunsfold Aerodrome to test drive Porsche’s and Ferrari’s and stuff, and teach celebrities how to drive cars quickly. This was despite having a full-time drive with Scuderia Ferrari, and also raising a family. What a nice bloke!
At Schumachers first ever race [at Spa] he qualified his Jordan 8th, a considerable feat! Fancy going to the Belgian Grand Prix to see where it all happened, follow this link.
Click on the link to see PROOF that Schumacher was the Stig!
Julian Bailey
- Racing credentials: 7/10
- Occupation: Retired
- Likelihood: 8/10
Not a name many will know these days, but Julian Bailey is another driver with credentials to make him perfect for those anonymous overalls. A season in F1 with Tyrrell, followed by 5 years in the British Touring Car Championship, and five appearances at the Le Mans 24 hours. Was he the Stig? Given the time he probably had spare, and the fact his old mate Perry was the main Stig, we think probably.
Julian Bailey’s last ever F1 entry was the 1991 Monaco Grand Prix. Fancy going, follow this link.
Click here to see Julian Bailey [we think] racing his F3000 at the Birmingham Superprix.
Chris Harris
- Racing credentials: 5/10
- Occupation: Professional Loud Mouth
- Likelihood: 1/10
While Chris’ racing career may not have reached the heady-heights of the other Stig stand-ins, he certainly has the requisite skill-set. With appearances at the Nurburgring 24, Blancpain GT Series, and the Porsche Cup, he is as legit as they come. But to discover the man in the white overalls is Chris Harris might feel like a bit of a cheat. He also finds it difficult to stop talking for long enough to get around the Top Gear test track, which means that any producer with a brain-cell would never consider him for the role of Stig.
Chris Harris is not a name inherently associated to F1, but he has made numerous appearances on the Historic Racing circuit. Fancy some Historic Formula One from Monaco? Follow this link: //www.grandprixgrandtours.com/monaco-historic-grand-prix-package/
Click on the link to see Chris failing to shut-up while driving a Aston Martin at the Nurburgring 24hr [pop the kettle on for this one, its brilliant].
Darren Turner
- Racing credentials: 7/10
- Occupation: Racing Driver
- Likelihood: 3/10
Darren Turner is racing royalty. Ex-DTM racer, 3-time Le Mans 24hr winner, Aston Martin Factory WEC Driver, and ex-McLaren F1 test driver. Schedule’s don’t get much fuller than Darren Turners. Was he the Stig? On the basis of his crazy schedule, we think probably not.
Darren Turner’s first ever win in the World Endurance Championship was at the Shanghai International Circuit. Fancy going there to watch the F1, then click here.
Click on the link to see the man himself at Road America in 2013 [Volume UP!].
Ben Collins
- Racing credentials: 7/10
- Occupation: Pro stunt driver
- Likelihood 10/10
We all know Ben Collins was the Stig because he wrote a book about it. Winding up in a legal battle with the producers, being roundly pilloried by presenters, and then [rather awkwardly] reappearing a few episodes later. Still, for a jobbing racing-driver it was probably worth the risk.
So what do we know about Ben Collins? Most people know that he is a professional stunt driver, having made appearances in a variety of Bond movies, but what about his racing career? We don’t know much about his karting days, but we do know that he competed in Formula Vauxhall Junior, British Formula 3, and the Indycar feeder series ‘Indy Lights’. A quick glance at the results wont tell you a great deal; solid midfield finisher on a good day. But when working out true performance, motorsport stats are a tricky beast – just ask Max Verstappen who has never won any Championship [at time of writing]. Finishing midfield in average machinery is quite an achievement, and if you have true class it will shine at places like Monaco, Suzuka, and Spa.
Wondering what I’m talking about? Click on the link to see Ben Collins on his way to 8th at the Macau Grand Prix.
Abbie Eaton
- Racing credentials: 6/10
- Occupation: Professional Racing Driver
- Likelihood 0/10
No list of Stigs would be complete without Lady Stig. We’ve also written about Abbie, here: The Grand Tour Driver – Who is The Stig?
Technically not a Stig at all, but gets an honourable mention for being part of the same team and doing the same job. Abbie is currently competing in the Britcar Endurance Championship in a Praga R1, along with a handful of other professional racing drivers. For fans of interweb influencers, she is also racing against smooth-talking Brylcream ambassador, Mr JWW.
Click on the link to see Abbie Eaton at Oulton Park in her Praga R1.
How we calculated the “Racing Credentials”
To determine calibre of driver we have used a highly scientific approach know as ‘slightly more accurate than a wild guess’. See below:
Was Michael Schumacher always The Stig?
In series 13 episode 1, the show jokingly unmasked the Stig as seven-time world champion F1 driver Michael Schumacher. In the hiatus following series 15, racing driver Ben Collins was revealed to be the Stig in a court battle over Collins' impending autobiography, titled The Man in the White Suit.
Who was the 3rd Stig?
Following Perry McCarthy and Ben Collins outing themselves as the first two incarnations of The Stig, it is strongly believed that the race driver portraying the third and so far, longest lasting incarnation of The Stig since 2010 is Phil Keen.
Is Chris Harris still on Top Gear?
Top Gear's Chris Harris has broken his silence on the news that the show will not return "for the foreseeable future". Earlier this week [November 21], the BBC announced that it has "decided to rest" the motoring show, which featured Chris Harris, Freddie Flintoff and Paddy McGuinness as hosts.
Who was the 1st Stig?
Perry McCarthy - The original Stig from Top Gear.