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Who is Sabine Schmitz? Sabine Schmitz Bio/Wiki
Sabine Schmitz, aka Sabine Reck, was a German professional motor racing driver for BMW and Porsche, as well as a television personality. She was best known for driving the BMW “ring taxi” around the Nürburgring race circuit. She was born on 14 May 1969 in Adenau, Germany.
Schmitz announced in a Facebook post in July 2020 that she had been battling “an incredibly recurrent cancer” since late 2017. She clarified that she had undergone medication and that her health was improving, but that she had relapsed and would need to seek treatment once more.
Schmitz died of the disease on March 16, 2021.
Another sad loss to motorsport this week. Sabine Schmitz , Queen of the Nurburgring passed away aged just 51. She was an inspirational woman to all.
Posted by Car SOS on Wednesday, 17 March 2021
Age
She was 51 years old.
Husband/Boyfriend
Klaus Abbelen is the husband of Sabine Schmitz.
Children
Together, they had no children.
Career
Following intermittent drives on the Nordschleife in the family car, all three sisters began racing, but only Sabine persevered and won. Schmitz won CHC and VLN race events, the VLN endurance racing championship in 1998, and the 24 Hours of Nürburgring in 1996 and 1997, all while co-driving a BMW M3 with local veteran Johannes Scheid.
Schmitz and Klaus Abbelen raced in the Nürburgring VLN endurance racing series in 2006, driving the #97 Porsche 997 entered by Land Motorsport. They were only defeated by the factory-backed Manthey-entered champions of 2007 and 2006 in the 2008 24h.
Schmitz became an occasional motorsport guest commentator, noted for her gleefully dry accounts of driving accidents, as a result of her reputation as “the fastest taxi driver in the world” and her charisma. Schmitz has co-hosted a motoring show on German television, D Motor, on the DMAX TV channel, since September 2006.
Schmitz in a Ferrari 360 vs. a 1200 hp Race Truck, Schmitz in a Formula Renault race car vs. a racing sidecar, Schmitz in a Formula Renault race car vs. a racing sidecar, Schmitz in a Formula Renault race car vs. a racing sidecar, Schmitz in a Formula Renault race car vs. a racing sidecar, Schmitz in a Formula Renault race car vs. a race She’s even made an appearance on 5th Gear.
Schmitz was announced as a presenter on the relaunched Top Gear in December 2015, according to The Daily Telegraph. In February 2016, the BBC announced this, along with the addition of several new presenters to the program.
Death Cause
Sabine Schmitz, a racing driver and a member of the BBC’s Top Gear, died at the age of 51.
The German, known as the “Queen of the Nürburgring,” had battled cancer for a long time.
The popular German racetrack said in a statement: “The Nürburgring 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!”
Jeremy Clarkson, a former host on the show who worked alongside her in a variety of episodes, said: “Terrible news about Sabine Schmitz. Such a sunny person and so full of beans.”
R.I.P. Sabine, 👸🏼 the Queen of the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
The world has lost a super fast woman… it was an honor to race with you. ✨🙏 Thanks for the fun on and off track, Sabine.
Race in Peace #SabineSchmitz #nurburgring #nordschleife pic.twitter.com/hJddiiagHV— Tom Coronel (@TomCoronel) March 17, 2021
She gave me pointers on how to drive a Ferrari very fast and hunted me down in a banger race. Brilliantly bonkers and an amazing human being! RIP the great Sabine Schmitz. pic.twitter.com/awtbOnMD90
— Paddy McGuinness 💙 (@PaddyMcGuinness) March 17, 2021
We are saddened by the loss of Sabine Schmitz.
Beyond almost beating Clarkson in a Ford Transit and a number of other Top Gear appearances, Sabine was a talented racer, winning the infamous Nürburgring 24h on multiple occasions.
The Queen of the Nordschleife 👑 pic.twitter.com/KXg2SQ3BRL
— DRIVETRIBE (@DRIVETRIBE) March 17, 2021