Oh my god. I'm the STIG. Ben Collins is an imposter.

Publisher HarperCollins has confirmed the identity of The Stig after the British High Court refused to grant a temporary injunction to the BBC.

The broadcaster had taken legal action to block publication of the autobiography of racing car driver Ben Collins, in which he is unmasked as the mystery driver on Top Gear.

"This is a victory for freedom of speech," HarperCollins said in an statement to the Bloomberg news service.

"Ben Collins has a great story to tell about his seven years as The Stig which will appeal to a wide audience beyond the world of motoring enthusiasts."

Collins was named in the British media as The Stig last month after documents showed his company’s earnings rose sharply when he took on work "to provide driving services for the BBC, mainly in the Top Gear program" in December 2003.

The timing of the increased revenue coincided with the first appearance of The Stig in a white racing suit, at least one of which Collins is known to own.

Read more: Financial documents out The Stig

The BBC argued in court that Collins was bound by a confidentiality agreement and revealing who he is would spoil viewers' enjoyment of the popular television program.

But after more than a day of legal submissions in private before Justice Morgan in London, lawyers for HarperCollins emerged to say the case had concluded in their favour.

"The judge has said he is not going to grant an injunction in this case. Reasons are to follow and will be given in a private judgment," solicitor Robin Shaw said.

A spokeswoman for the BBC said the judgment did not prevent it from pursuing the matter to a full trial of the issues.

Several racing drivers had been linked to the role, including former Formula One world champions Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher.

The original Stig, Perry McCarthy, was dropped in 2003 after his identity was uncovered.

That sucks. Why can't they just leave things alone. It was good as a mystery.