On Sunday night, I wasn’t out celebrating the summer solstice, oh no, I was celebrating the long awaited return of Top Gear. And what a show-stopper of a first episode it was! As I perched on my sofa, awaiting a fresh installment of the latest automotive gossip, one of the most curious mysteries of television was potentially answered. After years of speculation and debate, Top Gear’s anonymous test driver, ‘the Stig,’ was unveiled as none other than the seven times formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher!

However, as soon as the revelation was unveiled, doubts were immediately raised. Following an appalling driving performance by Schumacher at the end of Sunday’s show, presenter Jeremy Clarkson told viewers “I don’t think Michael Schumacher is the Stig.”

So our hopes were raised and slashed in a matter of minutes. It seems that Schumacher’s appearance on the show was more of a publicity stunt than anything else. Is it bad that I’m secretly quite relieved? I never saw the Stig as a German, and as is the case with all surprises, they are never quite as exciting once the secret is out. I suppose we will just have to keep guessing…