Indeed, we certainly do. The Stig is known to be Ben Collins, who hails from Bristol and has a background in racing and stunt work.
Ben Collins’s strategy didn’t pan out as he hoped when he sought assistance from an art gallery to create a print featuring the Stig in a dynamic moment.
The online community has been flooded with “Bounty Hunters” who have identified Mr. Collins as the enigmatic driver.
Fans might feel disheartened to learn that outside of speeding at 200mph on the Top Gear test track, Mr. Collins drives a “reasonably priced” car worth $25,000, is married, and resides in a quaint home valued at $500,000.
Throughout the years, Mr. Collins has consistently denied being the Stig, and he may now face termination as a result. The original Stig, stunt driver Perry McCarthy, lost his position after revealing his identity in his autobiography.
Mr. Collins embarked on his motorsport journey by competing in Formula First and Formula Vauxhall Junior, eventually making his way to International Formula 3. Furthermore, he was a stunt driver in the Bond film Quantum Of Solace.
Over the years, various racing drivers, including Damon Hill and Russ Swift, have been publicly named as the Stig by the media and fellow racers. There are speculations suggesting that Mr. Collins might be just one among four Stigs that Top Gear employs.
So far, the Top Gear team has not issued any comments. Previously, they did remove one Stig a few years back, sending him off driving from an aircraft carrier while at sea.
While Top Gear wasn’t as popular back then, there were whispers that the former Stig preferred to have his identity known to be more integrated into the show. When Clarkson denied this request, the former Stig caused an uproar and threatened to leak the information to the media. Consequently, Clarkson dismissed him.
It seems likely that Top Gear may be in search of a new driver, but finding someone as skilled as Ben will be a challenge.
The character’s name was inspired by presenter Jeremy Clarkson’s experiences at Repton School, where new students were often referred to as Stig. A spokesperson for Top Gear commented: “We never comment on speculation regarding who or what The Stig is.”
Now, you might need to make a statement…considering everyone is aware of his identity.
