or redistributed. We will miss her and her cheerful nature. Schmitzs time on Top Gear brought a non-British touch to a show mostly run by men and aimed at them. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. [10], In March 2015, The Guardian featured a satirical article calling for Schmitz to be the new presenter of Top Gear in order to gracefully cancel the programme, concluding that "She has appeared from time to time on Top Gear in the past, and shown herself to possess exactly the right mix of knowledge and boisterousness for the job every time. Such a sunny person and so full of beans, Clarkson tweeted. Source Bbc. German racing driver and TV personality Sabine Schmitz has died aged 51 after a three-year battle with cancer. The Adenau-born Schmitzs first triumph at the 24 Hours of Nrburgring came in 1996 with Johannes Scheid and Hans Widmann in the BMW M3. Sabine Schmitz passed away far too early after a long illness. Sabine Schmitz passed away far too early after a long illness. She was also a qualified helicopter pilot. Sabine radiated positivity, always wore her cheeky smile no matter how hard things got and was a force of nature for female drivers in the motoring world. She broke further ground in 1998 when she became the first woman to win theNurburgring VLN endurance racing series. The Queen of the Nurburgring had said,Many of you have probably wondered why I was on the list of participants on our Porsche in the NSL and then didnt drive after all. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. #RIP.'. It was around this time that Schmitz became known for her entertaining laps in a BMW M5 'ring taxi,' taking visitors around the Nurburgring at breakneck professional speeds. is that she had cancer.The 51-year-oldwas a familiar face on British television due to her stint on the BBC's Top Gear over the years, first appearing on the show back in 2004. She first joined Jeremy Clarkson on on the BBC show Top Gear in 2004 and became part of the presenting team when Chris Evans revamped the programme in 2016. She turned professional aged 24, claiming historic victories as the first woman to win the24 Hours Nurburgring endurance race in 1996, and then again in 1997, behind the wheel of a BMW M3. 'In addition, I would like to thank everyone for their help and support in my everyday life, and encouragement in writing! They put on racing tires, took off the license plates and raced it on the track, Beat Schmitz said about Sabine and the family. She gave me pointers on how to drive a Ferrari very fast and hunted me down in a banger race, he tweeted. EXCLUSIVE - The anti-monarchist plan to disrupt King Charles's coronation: Republican group plotting protest King Charles is 'desperately trying to heal the royal rift with Harry and Meghan' ahead of his Coronation Former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey who was 'pitched in to help' with 'deep thinking' Charles and History of the humble quiche! ", Fellow presenter Chris Harris added: Rest in peace you wonderful, powerful, hilarious person.. BBC Studios is a commercial company that is owned by the BBC (and just the BBC). Schmitz went on to make regular appearances on British motoring show "Top Gear. She was 51 years old. Such a sunny person and so full of beans. Schmitz also raced for the Porsche motorsport team, which posted its own tribute on Twitter. So, I say goodbye 'probably' for the first time this season. So, sweethearts, now you have an update. [13], Schmitz trained as a Hotelfachfrau (graduate in hotel and catering business) and sommelire. She became one of the main attractions at the racing complex as a driver of a BMW ring taxi, in which she took paying customers on a high-speed lap around the track. The world mourned for the Queen of the Nurburgring and one of the most famous female racing drivers. [3] In each show, she takes on another challenge, for example Schmitz in a Ferrari 360 vs. a 1200hp Race Truck, or Schmitz in a Formula Renault race car vs. a race sidecar. Our sincere condolences to all her family and friends., Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Sabine Schmitz: Top Gear presenter and 'Queen of Nrburgring' video obituary, Schmitz is the only woman to win the 24 Hours of Nrburgring, Held a role as a presenter on Top Gear alongside Chris Evans. Sabine Schmitz in 2011 during the 24-hour race at the Nrburgring track in Germany. Picture: PA By Patrick Grafton-Green Racing driver and Top Gear presenter Sabine Schmitz has died at the age of 51. Tuesday, 18th April 2023See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. She was able to recite the names of the 73 turns by heart, and she first completed it at age 17 with her mothers car, before she had a driving license. The "Queen of Nordschleife" was a crowd favourite due to her open, humorous way," the tweet reads. She was 51. 'BABY STEPS': Daniel Ricciardo's key advantage over rivals, TOUCHING: Mick Schumacher's incredible nod to father in subtle F1 gesture. Born in Adenau to a family in the hotel and catering business, and raised in one of the villages nestled within the Nrburgring race track, she initially trained to join the same profession as her parents, before choosing to begin a career in racing, working as a driver for BMW and Porsche. The show's current host Paddy McGuinness described Schmitz as "an amazing human being". Such a sunny person and so full of beans, Clarkson tweeted. Sabine Schmitz passed away far too early after a long illness. RIP. We will miss her and her cheerful nature. Despite high expectations, Schmitz did not find success in the South African championship. German racing legend and Top Gear star Sabine Schmitz has died at the age of 51. Very sad to hear of the passing of Sabine Schmitz, a proper driving legend wholl be sadly missed by many. pic.twitter.com/wGY9siZ4vx, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) March 17, 2021. German driver Schmitz, known as the Queen of the Nurburgring, revealed last year . I never had to learn the track, she once said. Growing up near the track, one of the worlds most famous, she had always loved speed and by her own account completed more than 20,000 laps of that circuit. Chris Evans, who hosted the show for a series in 2016, recalled this morning on his radio show how Schmitz had once made him vomit during a speedy drive. Over time, an accumulation of mistakes develops in this code which scientists can now see them being stamped in cancers DNA. Sabine Schmitz passed away far too early after a long illness. We will miss her and her cheerful nature. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. ', Clarkson, who hosted Top Gear until 2015, wrote:'Terrible news about Sabine Schmitz. #RIP, Pioneer, champion, Queen of the NurburgringSabine Schmitz was a unique, much-loved and cherished member of our sport's family, and a force of nature for inspiring a new generation of motorsport enthusiastsOur thoughts are with her family and friends at this sad time pic.twitter.com/nwrLyZvXla, Very sad to hear of the passing of Sabine Schmitz, a proper driving legend wholl be sadly missed by many. She was the only woman to win the epic 24-hour race at the storied Nrburgring track in Germany. She made me throw up!' McGuinness today shared a photo of he and Schmitz wearing crash helmets inside a car, writing: 'She gave me pointers on how to drive a Ferrari very fast and hunted me down in a banger race. [9], In 2008 Schmitz (and fellow D Motor presenters Carsten van Ryssen and Tim Schrick,) featured in a Top Gear challenge of "Top Gear Vs the Germans". Top Gear star Sabine Schmitz has been remembered as "powerful and irrepressible" and "a proper driving legend" after her death at the age of 51. In addition to her half brother, she is survived by her husband, her mother and two sisters. Many of her former colleagues and co-stars paid tribute to Schmitz on social media following the news of her death. After getting married and running a hotel in Pulheim near Cologne, she won the 24 Hours Nrburgring in 1996 and 1997 as Sabine Reck, all with a BMW M3 Group N entered and co-driven by local veteran Johannes Scheid. Fittingly, the circuit itself was among the first to pay tribute. We will miss her and her cheerful nature. Sadly, the star passed away last month after a three-year battle with cancer. [7], In December 2004, Schmitz gained further recognition in the United Kingdom after appearing in the BBC television programme Top Gear with presenter Jeremy Clarkson. How much does charging an electric car cost? She gave me pointers on how to drive a Ferrari very fast and hunted me down in a banger race, said Paddy McGuinness. We will miss her and her cheerful nature. 2021. Since the end of 2017, I have been fighting an extremely persistent cancer that has not been eliminated with the resources so far. Klaus Abbelen and all relatives and friends are deeply saddened by the immeasurable loss.. Sabine Schmitz passed away far too early after a long illness. An incredible talent and wonderful person who made us all smile. Fittingly, the circuit itself was among the first to pay tribute. My mother would drive that same car to the hairdresser or to do groceries., He added, Its just like the kid who is born next to the soccer stadium and is in a soccer team at 5.. Your information will be used in accordance with our privacy policy. Sabine was a beloved member of the Top Gear family and presenting team since 2016, having first appeared on the show in 2004, and everyone who had the pleasure of working with her on the team is in shock at this news. The "Queen of Nordschleife" was a crowd favourite due to her open, humorous way. Tributes have flooded in for German racing driver Sabine Schmitz, who has died at the age of 51. She further added, "It got a little better but now its come back with full force. Brilliantly bonkers and an amazing human being! RIP the great Sabine Schmitz., Jeremy Clarkson who helped introduce her to British petrolheads in the early 2000s said this: Terrible news about Sabine Schmitz. The professional motor racing driver, known as Queen of the Nurburging, died last month aged 51, after a long battle . After Clarkson (under her tutelage) set a lap time of 9 minutes 59 seconds around the Nrburgring in a Jaguar S-Type diesel (Series 5, Episode 5), she dismissed his best lap with the comment "I tell you something, I do that lap time in the van". Top Gear stars Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris have paid tribute to Sabine Schmitz following her death aged 51. The exact dates you'll receive the DWP instalments revealed as millions of low-income households are set to 'The dummies are voting for me! 'It's a shock to hear that she's passed away. Best known for winning Germany's Nurburgring Nordschleife, the legend took her last breath on Tuesday (March 16, 2021), according to a statement issued by Frikadelli Racing. I think she loved how much she could shock middle-aged men who thought they could drive a bit until they saw what she could do, Chris Harris, a Top Gear host, said. Sabine Schmitz passed away far too early after a long illness. She favored escapades in which she would try to pass other drivers while driving a less powerful car than theirs. 'So sweethearts, now you have an update. 'The 'Queen of the Nurburgring', Sabine radiated positivity, always wore her cheeky smile no matter how hard things got - and was a force of nature for women drivers in the motoring world. Im glad @BBC_TopGear did a tribute to her. Sabine Schmitz, the German race car driver best known to TV audiences as a presenter on Top Gear, has died at the age of 51. Mar 17th 2021 at 9:05AM. "[11], In December 2015 The Daily Telegraph reported that Schmitz had been selected as a presenter on the revamped Top Gear. She properly entered British hearts on a 2004 episode of Top Gear, breaking the ten-minute barrier around the Nordschleife in a diesel Jaguar S-Type before attempting the same in a Ford Transit in the next series. 'Klaus Abbelen and all relatives and friends are deeply saddened by the immeasurable loss,'Frikadelli Racing said in a statement. And surely, at this point, that would, as they say, be the best outcome for everyone involved. RIP Sabine., The Nrburgring has lost its most famous female racing driver.Sabine Schmitz passed away far too early after a long illness. Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) March 17, 2021, I never thought car makers should be at the Ring, but I always thought Sabine Schmitz should, and would, be. The German, dubbed the 'Queen of theNurburgring', revealed last July that she had been suffering from 'an extremely persistent cancer' since 2017. The world mourned for. [3] In 2006 Schmitz and Klaus Abbelen drove the #97 Porsche 997 in the Nrburgring VLN endurance racing series, entered by Land Motorsport. The Polestar 4 is an electric SUV-coupe with no rear window. Schmitz took on Clarkson in a gymkhana-styled event followed by a single lap race, beating him by several seconds, although due to prolific cheating from the Top Gear team, the Germans lost overall. She is estimated to have completed 20,000 laps of the track and is the only female winner of the grueling 24 Hours ofNrburgring race, having won back-to-back events in 1996 and 1997. Schmitz, who was widely known as Queen of the Nrburgring, later impressed with her own team Frikadelli Racing, which she had founded with her husband, Klaus Abbelen. "The Nrburgring has lost its most famous female racing driver. 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