Schumacher revealed as 'The Stig'

Michael Schumacher was unmasked on Sunday evening as "The Stig", the mysterious driver of the BBC program Top Gear. The enigmatic figure in the white tracksuit, who has anonymously tested cars for the program for years, appeared on the show after breaking the test track record driving a Ferrari FSX.

When asked by presenter Jeremy Clarkson to remove his helmet, "The Stig" reluctantly complied, revealing the face of seven-time F1 world champion Michael Schumacher.

Clarkson jokingly asked the German what his name was before he became known as “The Stig” and Schumacher replied: “One has to have one's secrets.”

However, the true identity of “The Stig” was exposed by the press earlier this year and the mysterious pilot was 33-year-old British Ben Collins. But the speculation has not been confirmed by the BBC and the character is still thought to be played by several pilots.

The spokesperson from the British channel, meanwhile, confirmed that Schumacher played "The Stig" in the program with Ferrari and that, otherwise, the driver's true identity would have remained a secret.

Andre' Cotta