Sabine Schmitz dead: Top Gear star and ‘Queen of the Nürburgring’ dies aged 51

Top Gear presenter and racing legend Sabine Schmitz has died at the age of 51.

The driver, known as the Queen of the Nurburgring, died after a long battle with cancer.

The German racing track Nurburgring shared the news on Wednesday morning.

A statement read: ‘The Nurburgring has lost its most famous female racing driver.

‘Sabine Schmitz passed away far too early after a long illness. We will miss her and her cheerful nature. Rest in peace Sabine!’

Sabine previously announced the news that she had been battling cancer since 2017, having pulled out of the Nurburgring Endurance Series race.

In an emotional post, she wrote: ‘Dear friends of professional motor sport. Many of you have probably wondered why I was on the list of participants on our Porsche in the NSL and then didn’t drive after all.

‘I would like to provide enlightenment here, I think I owe it to my/our fans! Since the end of 2017, I have been fighting an extremely persistent cancer that has not been eliminated with the resources so far. It got a little better – but now it’s come back with full force.

‘Now I have to draw all the strength and nerve to master the next powerful therapies … hoping something [good] will happen. So I say goodbye ‘probably’ for the first time this season. In addition, I would like to thank everyone for their help and support in my everyday life, and encouragement in writing!’

Paddy McGuinness, who has hosted Top Gear since 2016, paid tribute to Sabine by saying: ‘I spent a glorious couple of days in a Ferrari with Sabine and she hunted me down in a banger race. What a woman, what a legacy, what a life. Very sad news. RIP the great Sabine Schmitz.’

His co-star Chris Harris added: ‘Rest in peace you wonderful, powerful, hilarious person.’

She was known in Germany for driving passengers around the legendary racing track Nurburgring in a BMW M5, earning the nickname of the ‘world’s fastest taxi driver’.

She estimated in her life that she completed more than 20,000 laps of the ring.

Having first appeared on Top Gear in 2004, she became a regular on the show following Jeremy Clarkson’s exit in 2015.

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