After a protracted battle with cancer, racer and one-time Top Gear presenter Sabine Schmitz gave up the ghost. She was 51.
Prior to her death, Sabine Schmitz was an accomplished racer and only female winner of the 24 Hours of Nürburgring.
Tributes have been pouring in for Sabine Schmitz since the news of her death broke. Organizations and individuals alike have paid tribute to her memory.
In a tweet, Formula 1 described her as a champion and a pioneer, Queen of the Nürburgring. The body also described her as unique and a cherished member of the F1 Family.
By the way, at the time Sabine Schmitz won 24 Hours of Nürburgring, in 1996, she had a team made up of Johannes Scheid and Hans Widmann. Their car was a BMW M3. Much later, though, she founded her own tam, called Frikadelli Racing, in collaboration with her husband Klaus Abbelen.
After her stint in the racing world, she had joined Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear, a BBC show in 2004. Reflecting on her passing, Clarkson had described it as terible news. He described the deceased as a “sunny person and so full of beans.”
She’ll be sorely missed by the racing world. What do you think about her passing?
