The Nrburgring has lost its most famous female racing driver. Christopher F. Schuetze contributed reporting. 3/17/2021 6:56 AM PT Sabine Schmitz -- affectionately known as the Queen of Nrburgring and former host of the hit BBC show "Top Gear" -- has died. 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. Published March 17, 2021 9:06am EDT Famed racing driver Sabine Schmitz dead from cancer at 51 Known around the world as the 'Queen of the Ring' By Gary Gastelu | Fox News Video America's most. She finished third in the 2008 edition. Her death was confirmed in March by a statement from Nurburgring, which read: The Nurburgring has lost its most famous female racing driver. It got a little better but now it's come back with full force. After competing in amateur races with her two sisters, Schmitz joined a BMW team in the early 1990s. Such a sunny person and so full of beans.. ': Royal fans hit out at King Charles' coronation quiche as Slice to see you! [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". During her marriage to a hotelier she lived in Pulheim, but after her divorce in 2000, up until 2003, she owned a bar-restaurant in Nrburg named the Fuchsrhre (Foxhole) after a track section. The Sabine Schmitz top gear stint began in 2004alongside Jeremy Clarkson and then became a regular feature on the popular TV show on BBC. pic.twitter.com/MFKNNFOSDU, Nrburgring (@nuerburgring) March 17, 2021, She gave me pointers on how to drive a Ferrari very fast and hunted me down in a banger race. pic.twitter.com/awtbOnMD90, Paddy McGuinness (@PaddyMcGuinness) March 17, 2021, #NLS - Very sad to hear that Sabine Schmitz (1969-2021) has passed away. 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. She remains the only female driver to have won Nrburgrings 24-hour race, which draws more than 200 racing teams and tens of thousands of fans every June. The Queen of Nordschleife was a crowd favourite due to her open, humorous way, the tweet reads. Sabine first appeared on Top Gear in 2004, and later went on to become a regular feature on the motoring series. The Nrburgring has lost its most famous female racing driver. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. '', The racing team whichSchmitz founded with her husband Klaus Abbelen, 60, a fellow driver, announced her death last month describing her 'brave fight against cancer.'. 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. Rest in peace Sabine!". Our sympathy goes to her family and friends pic.twitter.com/ZHXbC1R6Wk, Porsche Motorsport (@PorscheRaces) March 17, 2021. Rest in peace Sabine!. Market data provided by Factset. Sabine Schmitz, Racing Driver and TV Personality, Dies at 51, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/17/sports/autoracing/sabine-schmitz-obituary.html. Schmitz left Top Gear last year, announcing that she had been under treatment for cancer since 2017. 'Our thoughts are with her partner Klaus who was always by her side and who we welcomed to Dunsfold many times, and her family in Germany.'. ", "Top Gear presenters: Virtually unknown Chris Harris and Sabine Schmitz 'to be Chris Evans' sidekicks', "The Queen of the 'Ring: Sabine Schmitz will not slow down", "Top Gear's Sabine Schmitz reveals three-year battle with cancer", "Sabine Schmitz dead: Top Gear star and 'Queen of the Nrburgring' racing driver dies, aged 51", "Sabine Schmitz, Racing Driver and TV Personality, Dies at 51", "Nordschleife corner named after late Nurburgring ace Schmitz", "1995 South African Touring Car Championship", "South African Touring Car Championship 1995 standings | Driver Database", "Sabine Schmitz, former racing driver and Top Gear presenter, dies aged 51", Part 2 One Lap with Ford Transit (diesel) in 10:08 at TopGear, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sabine_Schmitz&oldid=1124411785, WeatherTech SportsCar Championship drivers, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 28 November 2022, at 20:02. Terrible news about Sabine Schmitz. Rest in peace Sabine! [5], Schmitz's company, Nrburgring-based Sabine Schmitz Motorsport, offers advanced driver training and a "ring taxi" service for passengers. Frikadelli Racing, the team she founded with husband Klaus Abbelen, confirmed the news earlier on Wednesday. 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. In addition, I would like to thank everyone for their help and support in my everyday life, and encouragement in writing! Schmitz was meant to participate in the NSL, but was unable to due to her illness. In order to improve our community experience, we are temporarily suspending article commenting, Score the biggest stories of the week with our newsletter. 'Now I have to draw all the strength and nerve to master the next powerful therapies hoping something [good] will happen. #RIP.'. She was 51. He said. EXCLUSIVE: Businesswoman, 43, who married into famous Forte hotel family, is spared prison sentence after Labour plans to give young asylum-seekers in Wales 1,600 a MONTH and taxpayers' cash to fight deportation. What a woman Sabine was! As King Charles announces his Coronation meal, FEMAIL reveals how eggy dish 'Have they seen the supermarket shelves recently? It was in this mode that Schmitz first appeared on Top Gear in 2004, when she tried tobeat Clarkson's Jaguar S-Type lap around the Nurburgring in a Ford Transit van. Schmitz also raced for the Porsche motorsport team, which posted its own tribute on Twitter. Very sad to hear of the passing of Sabine Schmitz, a proper driving legend wholl be sadly missed by many. Rotten news. On Twitter, Nrburgring said it had lost its most famous female racing driver, adding, Sabine Schmitz passed away far too early after a long illness.. RIP., 13-year-old opera singer leaves BGT panel in tears with golden buzzer performance, Paul Burrell wants to represent 'dads struggling with sexuality' on I'm A Celeb All Stars, Carol Vorderman 'attacked by monkey' during I'm A Celeb All Stars isolation. Sabine Schmitz poses with her Porsche ahead of a race in 2010, Sabine Schmitz at the Top Gear premier in London in January 2020, Sabine Schmitz behind the wheel of a sports car with Top Gear host Chris Evans in the passenger seat, Top Gear presenter Chris Harris uploaded this post today of him playfully holdingSchmitz around the chest. Schmitz remains the only ever woman to have won the 24 Hours Nurburgring. Tuesday, 18th April 2023See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. The formerTop Gear hosthad a long battle with cancer before her untimely passing on Tuesday, March 16 (Wednesday IST). 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. appreciated. It hits you right in the feels watching the #topgear tribute! March 17, 2021 For Sabine Schmitz, going to the storied Nrburgring car racing track in Western Germany was like going to school. Rest in peace Sabine!". BBC is a trademark of the British Broadcasting Corporation. Please stay healthy and cheerful, see you at the 'Ring.''. [1], Schmitz came to mass public attention driving one of the two BMW M5 "ring taxis" around the 20.8km (12.9mi)-long race track in an entertaining manner. All rights reserved. RIP the great Sabine Schmitz. 03/17/2021 The German racing legend was the only woman to win the 24-hours of Nrburgring, doing it twice. Sabine Schmitz passed away far too early after a long illness. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, #sabineschmitz #topgear RIP., As a follower added: Just watched the #TopGear Sabine Schmitz tribute and wow Im in tears. Revealed: the winners of the 2023 TopGear.com Electric Awards! Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. She was consistently outqualified and outpaced by Joubert and Van Der Linde, both of whom had extensive experience of the race tracks on which the series was run. If youve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing uscelebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page wed love to hear from you. She won the race in 1996 and 1997. Published: 08:35 BST, 17 March 2021 | Updated: 16:01 BST, 17 March 2021. '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. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. German racing legend and Top Gear star Sabine Schmitz has died at the age of 51. 7:54 AM EDT, Wed March 17, 2021. Current host Paddy McGuinness also posted a tribute. She became known to an even broader public when she joined Top Gear in 2016 after several appearances on the show. They finished third in the 24h 2008. The Ring has lost its Queen. Rest in peace Sabine!, Clarkson, who hosted Top Gear until 2015, wrote:Terrible news about Sabine Schmitz. 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. She is known as the . Clare Pizey, Top Gear's executive producer, said in a statement on behalf of the Top Gear team: '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. They love to get scared, so they pay me for that.. The Ring has lost its Queen. She then went on to become a co-host on the show in a cast that included "Friends" starMatt LeBlanc and appeared on several other shows in Germany and the U.K. Schmitz publically revealedlast July in a Facebook post that she had been dealing with the condition since 2017, writing:"I have been fighting an extremely persistent cancer that has not been eliminated with the resources so far. This website is made by BBC Studios Distribution. 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.. Terrible news about Sabine Schmitz. Sabine Schmitz passed away far too early after a long illness. Schmitz first appeared on Top Gear in 2004, when she tried to beat Clarkson's Jaguar S-Type lap around the Nurburgring in a Ford Transit van. We will miss her and her cheerful nature. 'She was 51 years old. She has been absent from the team at last year'sNrburgring Endurance Series when she revealed her illness. Sophia Floersch, a 20-year-old German driver who became the first woman to compete in Formula 3 last year, called Schmitzs races inspirational and motivating. Your information will be used in accordance with our privacy policy. Sabine, the only woman ever to win. Sabine Schmitz, 51, was a German professional motor racing driver for both BMW and Porsche. She joined the show as a regular presenter when Chris Evans took over in 2016 following Jeremy Clarkson's exit. Schmitz died of cancer, in March 2021, at the age of 51, following a diagnosis in late 2017. Here's a look at what happened to Sabine Schmitz and the cause of her tragic death. [15] She died of cancer at a hospital in Trier on 16 March 2021, aged 51. McGuinness was one of the many to pay tribute to the German racing legend and revealed that she taughthimhow to drive a Ferrari very fast and hunted him down in a banger race. BMW M3 Touring vs Audi RS4 Avant: can an old estate do the M3T's job for a fraction of the price? Rotten news. 2023 Cable News Network. Seeing her races was inspirational and motivating. So I say goodbye probably for the first time this season. The former Top Gear host had a long battle with cancer before her untimely passing on Tuesday, March 16 (Wednesday IST). Klaus Abbelen and all relatives and friends are deeply saddened by the immeasurable loss, Frikadelli Racing said in a statement. 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! EXCLUSIVE: Grandmother, 86, who arranged for her daughter-in-law, 27, to be lured to India and murdered in Could WhatsApp be BANNED in Britain? A Twitter user commented: Sabine Schmitz. 2. By following a healthy lifestyle your risk can be significantly reduced which means avoiding smoking, eating processed foods and ensuring you get some form of physical activity in your life. Our thoughts are with her partner Klaus, who was always by her side and who we welcomed to Dunsfold many times, and her family in Germany. 'I would like to provide enlightenment here, I think I owe it to my/our fans! 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. [4], According to her own estimates, Schmitz went around the track more than 20,000 times, increasing by approximately 1,200 per year. One of her most popular moments on the show occurred in 2009, when she tried to complete a lap on the Nrburgring circuit in less than 10 minutes with a Ford van. The world mourned for. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Sabine Schmitz passed away far too early after a long illness. Image: AAP The motorsport world is mourning the tragic death of female pioneer Sabine Schmitz, who died on. 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BBC Studios is a commercial company that is owned by the BBC (and just the BBC). Sabine Schmitz passed . Schmitz is best known for winning Germany's Nurburgring Nordschleife, one of the toughest racing circuits in the world, in 1996 and 1997, the only woman to do so. She has also appeared on Fifth Gear. We will miss her and her cheerful nature. Brilliantly bonkers and an amazing human being! Read Full Article Text By Eric Brain. Top Gear fans have praised bosses for an emotional tribute to Sabine Schmitz. ", Fellow presenter Chris Harris added: Rest in peace you wonderful, powerful, hilarious person.. 'Like everyone else who knew her, we will truly miss her - Sabine really was one of a kind. She was 51 years old. 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