Five reasons why Schumacher isn’t The Stig

The latest series of Top Gear started with a bombshell, as it was revealed Michael Schumacher was the man behind the famous white crash helmet.

But was it really the ex-F1 world champion? Stuart Milne brings you five reasons why Schuey can't be The Stig.

Because we've seen the real Stig.

Last February we published a sensational photograph of The Stig, which revealed his eyes behind his trademark white helmet and black visor. The photo was taken at an event in London, and a spokeswoman for the BBC refused to comment.

But in a 2006 interview with Auto Trader, the Original Stig, Perry McCarthy told us: "there’s a few of them, I think…"

View the face behind the mask now

BBC can't afford him

Michael Schumacher's 2004 salary was said to be $40m, making him the world's highest-paid athlete at the time, according to Forbes magazine.

And given the recent plans to cut the Beeb's budget by the government's Digital Britain report, it's unlikely Top Gear bosses could dig deep enough to keep Schuey in the style he's doubtless become accustomed.

He was still racing after Black Stig died

Original Stig, Perry McCarthy was fired off the deck of an aircraft carrier at the end of the third series in 2003. The current Stig debuted in series four which aired in May 9, 2004 – the very day Schumacher won the Spanish Grand Prix.

With Schuey's huge testing schedule, it would be near impossible for him to travel from Ferrari's Fiorino test track in Italy to Dunsfold near Guildford to put cars to the test. That means another tame racing driver would have been required.

He's contracted to Ferrari

Even though he officially hung up his racing gloves in 2006, he still has close ties with the Ferrari team in an advisory capacity. So that could mean he's unable to drive anything – in a professional capacity – built by a car outside of the Fiat group.

View more images of who The Stig might be