Season 13 of Great Britain’s Top Gear kicked off in June 2009.
During Episode 1 of the new season, one of the cars reviewed was the 860-horsepower Ferrari FXX, which turned a lap of the show’s test track with a 1:10.7, putting it to the top of the board. This lap time would later be disallowed due to the fact that it was turned on slick tires.
However, Ferrari doesn’t let just anyone drive the FXX. At the time, only 30 people owned an FXX, and all of them were kept at the Italian manufacturer’s factory. Since only those 30 owners are permitted to drive the car, the 1:10.7 lap was turned not by the real "Stig" - who was Ben Collins at the time - but in fact by the FXX’s owner.
Top Gear then brought the owner into the studio, still in his "Stig" disguise, to reveal who he really was.
Once the helmet was off, seven-time Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher sat down for a regular interview with the show’s host Jeremy Clarkson.
Today, Schumacher continues to undergo medical rehabilitation at his home in Switzerland following a serious skiing accident on Dec. 29, 2013.
Here’s how Schumacher’s revelation appeared on TV:
