The Stig, unmasked! (the current one) | FerrariChat
Buy

The Stig, unmasked! (the current one)

Discussion in 'General Automotive Discussion' started by audihenry, Aug 22, 2006.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. audihenry

    audihenry Formula Junior
    BANNED

    Mar 27, 2006
    662
    Los Angeles
    Full Name:
    Henry
    #1 audihenry, Aug 22, 2006
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Hi everyone,

    I think I have found a goof in Top Gear's editing that allows us to see The Stig without his helmet. I am not sure if I am absolutely correct, but we'll let the facts speak for themselves.

    Season: 8
    Episode: 6
    Aired: 7/16/2006 (in Britain)

    Here's the deal:

    There is a segment in this episode about testing a Toyota F1 car indoors. However, within this segment, I think we get to see Stiggy for four seconds without his helmet. Between 38:58 and 39:02*.

    In those four seconds, we see a pit crew preparing the car, but we also see a gentleman in race overalls conversing with a member of that team after taking off his under-helmet mask. The race team clearly has a red/white uniform on, and besides the presumed racer, there is no one else present. Also, he appears a few seconds later as the helmeted Stig. You be the judge!

    Links to pics:
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    So, can anyone identify this presumed racer? He seems to have a prominent nose, darker skin, and is rather tall. He looks European to me, but that was probably an assumption by most fans, anyway. Does anyone know who he is? Forget the rumors about it being a girl, the Stig is a guy! :)

    *Note: The times given in this post refer to the times in a standard version of the episode floating around the internet. I chose these times and not my own recording of the live show so as to make it possible for anyone to check it out for themselves.
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  2. smart_alek

    smart_alek Formula Junior

    Jun 12, 2005
    455
    Ontario, Canada
    Full Name:
    Alex
    #2 smart_alek, Aug 22, 2006
    That is Oliver Panis, the Toyota test driver. He is not the regular stig. A bit bigger build than the regular guy.
     
  3. audihenry

    audihenry Formula Junior
    BANNED

    Mar 27, 2006
    662
    Los Angeles
    Full Name:
    Henry
    #3 audihenry, Aug 22, 2006
    You sure? Panis looks whiter. Also, nowhere else do we see the same guy. Two possibilities: the guy in the pictures is not Panis or Panis is the Stig. Hmmm.
     
  4. chitown dave

    chitown dave Formula Junior

    Nov 30, 2005
    286
    well...Chicago
    Full Name:
    well...Dave
    #4 chitown dave, Aug 23, 2006
    The Stig is an "insert here" driver and it would make sense that Toyota would want their own test driver to achieve the best results. But I don't think he is "The Stig" because Topgear would want the same Stig for each of the laptimes on the "tree".

    I think...
     
  5. mgv1

    mgv1 Formula Junior

    Feb 6, 2006
    496
    San Francisco
    Full Name:
    Mark V
    #5 mgv1, Aug 23, 2006
    Perry Macarthy: The Stig




    The Stig from BBC's Top Gear programme, Perry Macarthy talks to Simon Baldock about Formula One, test driving and his new book.

    WATCH and LISTEN

    Hear Simon Baldock talking to Perry Macarthy (28K)
    BBC download guide
    Free Real player


    SEE ALSO

    Features homepage http://www.bbc.co.uk/essex/features/essex_celeb/stig.shtml


    Celebrity Essex homepage


    WEB LINKS

    BBC Top Gear

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.


    PRINT THIS PAGE

    View a printable version of this page.


    Hear Simon Baldock talking to Perry Macarthy (28K)

    One man who has experienced the highs, and more particularly the lows of Formula 1 is Essex based racing driver Perry Macarthy. Test Driver for Benetton, Arrows and Williams, he's taken part in the 24 hour Le Mans race he's great mates with Damon Hill and has now written a book called "Flat Out Flat Broke" about what life is really like as a F1 driver.
    Fans of the BBC's Top Gear programme might know him better as the Stig, the mystery driver who test drives all the top of the range supercars on the programme.
     
  6. Doody

    Doody F1 Veteran

    Nov 16, 2001
    6,099
    MA USA
    Full Name:
    Mr. Doody
    #6 Doody, Aug 23, 2006
    i disagree. Top Gear is a going concern, and they don't want to inflate their production costs by committing to sticking to a single Stig. over time he'd ratchet his contract up and up adn up. by creating this pseudonym, they can swap in "Stigs" whenever they please and manage costs or allow factory drivers or whatever they please. presumably they do some quality control analysis on whether a given driver is likely to screw up the tree's relative numbers, and choose not to let that person be the stig. and i hope/assume they analyze more extensively the closer they feel a car will be to "the top" of the tree.

    but that's just my opinion. i have no actual data whatsoever.

    doody.
     
  7. chitown dave

    chitown dave Formula Junior

    Nov 30, 2005
    286
    well...Chicago
    Full Name:
    well...Dave
    #7 chitown dave, Aug 23, 2006
    Good points. Thats why I added "I think"

    I guess any top level driver could wring the cars out pretty close considering they dont have to worry about all the variables involved in a proper racing car. But I'm also thinking being the Stig can't be that lucrative that Topgear would fret over production costs, hell Damon Hill is known to hang around the set for the laughs.

    You have to admit it would be alot of fun to play the Stig...
     
  8. FerrariF50lover

    FerrariF50lover Formula 3

    Aug 12, 2005
    2,383
    Ohio
    Full Name:
    Nate
    #8 FerrariF50lover, Aug 23, 2006
    Does any one have the video where I can see that?
     
  9. andrewg

    andrewg F1 Rookie
    BANNED

    Sep 10, 2002
    4,667
    Chester, England
    Full Name:
    AndrewG
    #9 andrewg, Aug 23, 2006
    Perry Macarthy is no longer the stig :( if anybody fancies a good book to read Perry's "flat out and flat broke" is a good informative and funny biog covering his carer to date
     
  10. PaulK

    PaulK F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Apr 24, 2004
    4,788
    Michigan
    Full Name:
    Paul
    #10 PaulK, Aug 23, 2006
    I don't think there is any 'one' stig. I am sure its just random test drivers, probbly attached to the company of whose car they are driving. This way they get the best driver for the car, period.
     
  11. Vang

    Vang Formula Junior

    May 5, 2004
    713
    Philadelphia
    Full Name:
    Dan
    #11 Vang, Aug 23, 2006
    This might be how it works for the cars that are particularily hard to get a hold of (that is, they have to borrow on condition of a specified test driver), but I highly doubt Ford sends someone over to drive the new S-Max, or something.
     
  12. Aureus

    Aureus Formula 3

    Mar 8, 2004
    2,126
    Louisiana,California
    #12 Aureus, Aug 23, 2006
    get a program called utorrnet

    go to torrent portal

    search for 'top gear', browse through till you find season 8, episode six, download the torrent. Open the torrent with Utorrent and you will begin downloading the episode.

    If that is too complicated for you... :shrug:
     
  13. smart_alek

    smart_alek Formula Junior

    Jun 12, 2005
    455
    Ontario, Canada
    Full Name:
    Alex
    #13 smart_alek, Aug 24, 2006
    They may know the car the best, but I'm sure a permanent stig or stigs would be more familiar with the test track.
     
  14. sicqnus

    sicqnus Formula Junior

    Jul 11, 2005
    637
    Paris - France
    Full Name:
    Cyril Chartier
    #14 sicqnus, Aug 24, 2006
    The Stig has been played by several people on Top Gear. Damon Hill has been shot recently by UK newspapers on TG track with the white suit and the white helmet. The first seasons, Jenson Button, who is a friend of Clarkson, made a few episodes under the white suit. At first it was intended to have clear faces but for evident sponsors interests, Button had to be masked.

    I heard the story about one episode with Tiff Needle under the white helmet (5th Gear - ex. Top Gear) but I thought he wasn't anymore in good terms with Clarkson since he left TG to create his own program on another channel... Anyone knows the truth ?
     
  15. steveirl

    steveirl Formula 3

    Dec 29, 2003
    1,163
    ireland
    Full Name:
    steve
    #15 steveirl, Aug 24, 2006
    Some of my friends from the DeTomaso Drivers Club were invited by Top Gear to Dunsfold when the Stig was testing the Koenigsegg CCX. They chatted to him and he took his helmet off but kept his nomex balaclava on. They are convinced it was Ben Collins.
    steve
     

Share This Page