The Stig news - The Stig v F1 - 2008

"Whoever's in that car is a seriously good driver," said Fernando Alonso pre-race at the British Grand Prix last weekend.

Alonso was watching a man being driven around in a two seat Santander grand prix car by a mysterious white-clad driver.

"I've no idea who he is, but he's definitely ex-F1," Alonso continued.

Who was he talking about? The Stig of course!

Those of you who were at Silverstone last weekend may have noticed the well-known tame racing driving lapping the circuit before the F1 cars went out to the grid.

The Stig had been bought in a Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital charity auction for the princely sum of £35,000, by a man who'd won £5million pounds on the lottery.

His 35 grand got him three laps in the back of the Santander grand prix car, driven by the Stig himself.

You'll know if you watched the race how wet it was, but the Stig threw off the challenge with a shrug.

Or at least he would have if he was prone to any physical expression what-so-ever, but as he's not he just got on with it.

No traction control, no driver aids and cold, hard Avon wet tyres.

The back even stepped out on him at one point, at 178mph, and he saved it.

But then what did you expect from a driver who even Alonso admires?

Sir Stiggington, we salute you.