Sabine Schmitz dies: the Queen of the Nürburgring loses her battle against cancer

Today is a painful day for motorsport fans and for those closest to Sabine Schmitz, who lost her life yesterday, 16 March, at the age of 51 after a hard fight against cancer since 2017. The Queen of the Nürburgring leaves behind a devastating loss but an eternal legacy, one that will endure over time, having established herself as one of the greatest drivers of all time. Today we look back on all of Sabine Schmitz’s feats and achievements.

The German driver had some of the most important titles in the world to her name, as well as being one of the most charismatic drivers of recent years. Her skill on the track and her presence on television made us know a Sabine Schmitz who was a warrior like few others on the circuit and warm and affectionate in her other sides.

Among Schmitz’s various achievements as a racing driver, is her victory in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring in 1996 and 1997 at the wheel of a BMW M3. In addition, she also won several CHC and VLN events, as well as the VLN endurance championship in 1998. Not content with that, she also raced alongside Klaus Abbelen at the wheel of a Porsche 911 (997) in the VLN endurance series at the Nürburgring.

Later, Schmitz drew attention for her fast laps as the “Taxi Ring” at the wheel of a BMW M5. Going by her own estimates, the German driver completed around 20,000 laps of the Nürburgring, or put another way, some 1,200 laps a year, which is quite something.

With all this, Sabine Schmitz earned the nickname “Queen of the Nürburgring” and “the fastest taxi driver in the world”. Eventually, she decided to found her own taxi company on the Green Hell, Sabine Schmitz Motorsport, which offered training sessions and fast laps to tourists. Finally, Schmitz decided to stop actively competing in 2011.

Of course, the German became a celebrity in her own right thanks to her frequent appearances on programmes such as D Motor and Top Gear, along with various appearances on some of the most popular automotive YouTube channels. Yesterday, 16 March 2021, Sabine Schmitz died from cancer, a disease she had been fighting since 2017. Rest in peace, Queen of the Nürburgring; your legacy and your feats will last forever.