Common consensus is that it is Collins, based on years of arrows leading to him (like in Hammond’s Crash Report for example), however they have been known to use other people as the stig – Kovalinen did the F1 thing, someone else did the Ski slope one etc. Though what always amazed me was that if Collins was this good, why did he never make it in the big time?

That’s why to a certain extent I think it’s Mansell. Look at the F1 Suzuki Liana boards times for a start, then consider what Mansell has actually done since ‘retirement’ from F1. Apart from the Masters series he’s had plenty of time to do all the laps for Top Gear, then just use a stand in for when Stig appears without a car or during the after show drinks (see the Jimmy Carr 7 minute special where he tours the offices after the David Walliams show).