question to all top gear fans?

Question

does anyone out there know who the stig really is

Answer 1

my dad says its him but i dont believe him

Answer 2

No that's the whole point. And the mix up about Jeremy Clarkson leaving the show isn't true apparently. The Beeb said no when he asked for more money - and they told him he'd miss out on driving that new Ferrari. Well that did it. They're sending him around the side streets of Wolverhampton in a Ferrari in the next series - to see how he copes with the "traffic calming". He will also get extra points if he comes back with no tickets from the West Midlands police or gets caught on the speed cameras. Driving a Ferrari through Wolverhampton at 29 MPH - he will never do it! lol The Stig's musical tastes give us a clue as to who it isn't and it isn't Damon Hill!!! My guess is a test driver - who didn't quite make it in F1 - but more likely a rally driver.

Answer 3

Wednesday, 26th January 2005

Perry McCarthy on life as 'The Stig!'


He's raced in Formula One, competed in the legendary Le Mans 24 hours and battled for honours at Sebring, but in the career of Perry McCarthy – dubbed by some as 'the world's unluckiest driver' – one thing must surely stand head and shoulders above the rest.

And that thing? Taking on the role of the mysterious 'Stig' on popular British motoring show Top Gear.

Crash.net took the chance to catch up with Perry recently, to talk about life as the 'Stig' and find out just how easy it is trying to teach a celebrity to become a race driver…

Crash.net:
Perry, alongside your long career in motorsport, you had another famous role as 'The Stig' on Top Gear - I just wondered what it was like to have that role.

Answer 4

I've been looking it up as well because it's driving me nuts. The first one was definitely Perry McCarthy, but there's so many rumours around now. I think they probably use the same one most of the time, but occasionally someone else. I don't think it's Damon Hill as it would take up a lot of his time, although a series of Top Gear is very short and I think it may be possible.
He's really fast, but that might be just from a lot of practice at the TG track so maybe not necessarily someone of Damon Hill's stature. Maybe an old test driver? I reckon he's British, though. Could you see Clarkson dealing with someone who isn't British? There's also a rumour that it's that girl that's been on the show that does testing at Nurburg, but it definitely looks like a man.

Answer 5

No one knows for sure (except for a few people who are keeping quiet), though the first Stig was apparently Perry McCarthy.

Speculation on the current Stig's identity can be found in wiki

Answer 6

I think that the stig is actually just a character played by multiple drivers at one point or another. It would not surprise me if their have a main stig, but for some of the tricks that they have done they may have swapped him with another person.

Answer 7

The first one (the one in black) was Perry McCarthy, used to drive for Andrea Moda in F1 (remember them?) Top Gear "killed him off" by launching him off the aircraft carrier as Perry had signed to drive for Audi in GT racing & Le Mans 24 Hour. The new one, no one is sure, although Perry in his book hints it's one of his four closest friends: Martin Donnelly (who was so badly injured in a Lotus in 1990 I don't know if he can drive still), Damon Hill, Mark Blundell & Julian Bailey, and personally I think it's Julian Bailey, purely for the fact Damon Hill was a guest and drove completely different lines, not easy to do if you have driven a track so many times, Mark Blundell is turning slowly into Mr Blobby, besides he's filming for F1 ITV so prob hasn't time and Martin Donnelly runs his own race team. That's why I think Julian Bailey, who having raced (briefly) in F1 for Tyrrell & Lotus (alongside a certain Mika Hakkinen) also raced mainly GT & touring cars hence the different lines.

Answer 8

No but there's a strong rumour that it's former F1 world champion Damon Hill.

Answer 9

martin donnelly, perry mccarthy, mark blundell, damon hill and julian bailey have all been close friends for a long time, their careers tend to follow each other

marks in usa now, damon lives lives in Ireland, martin donnelly runs his own team and goes to Ireland a lot

so i would go with julian bailey

Answer 10

It was Perry McCartney till he went on ITV when they had a motor sport programme on sundays(i think) and said that it WAS him, it could still be him as his body shape looks the same (i think anyway)

Answer 11

He is an ex-F1 racing driver but the BBC are very good at keeping his identity hidden so nobody knows which one he actually is