Alright when was that again.....?

Sabine Schmitz, affectionately known as 'Queen of the Nürburgring' has sadly passed away aged 51.
  • Schmitz revealed last year that she had been battling cancer since 2017.
  • A former Top Gear presenter, she remains the only woman to win the Nürburgring 24 Hours.
  • Tributes have been pouring in for the much-loved motorsport star.
The impact that the German racing driver and TV presenter, Sabine Schmitz had on the motorsport world and those close to her is clear for all to see. Tributes have been pouring in from her friends, fellow drivers and motorsport institutions alike.

The remarkable and much loved "force of nature" had no equal at the Nürburgring, estimating that she had completed over 30,000 laps of the 20.832km circuit in Germany. Her impressive endurance and touring car career spanned almost three decades, having twice won the Nürburgring 24 Hours, as well as competing in series like BTCC and IMSA.


Those who did not come to know about Schmitz on a race track, likely did for her cameo appearances on Top Gear since 2004, before she was made a presenter in 2016. One highlight from her time on the BBC programme was her famous lap of her beloved Nürburgring in a Ford transit van, which she completed in an astonishing time of just 10 minutes and eight seconds. For reference this was just nine seconds slower than a fellow presenter's time in a Jaguar S-Type...


The Frikadelli Racing team she founded with her husband, Klaus Abbelen, announced the sad news that she had lost her fight against cancer on Tuesday.

“Sabine Schmitz (14.5.1969 – 16.3.2021) passed away yesterday (Tuesday) after her brave fight against cancer.
“She was 51 years old. Klaus Abbelen and all relatives and friends are deeply saddened by the immeasurable loss.”

Schmitz rose to fame as the first female overall winner of the Nürburgring 24 hour race in 1996, before doing it back-to-back in 1997, and then going on to win the VLN Endurance Championship title the year after.

Everybody at RaceDepartment would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Sabine Schmitz, who will be sadly missed by so many.

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