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Driver, Ring Queen & TV Presenter Sabine Schmitz passes away

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LOL The Irony

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Racing Driver, TV Presenter and Queen of the Nurburgring Sabine Schmitz has passed away at the age of 51 from a long illness.
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!

She's probably best remembered for her exploits on Top Gear, which include trying to beat Jeremy's diesel Jag time around the Ring in a van, the UK vs Germany challenge and being a presenter on season 23.
 
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peters

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Very shocked to hear this.

I remember Chris Evans riding as a passenger in a car she was racing and he had to get out and throw up.
 

Cowley

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That lap with the Transit was wonderful. Very sad to read this today.
 

JohnMcL7

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Really sad news and huge loss to motorsport, I thought she was fantastic on Top Gear with the Jaguar and then the van so my friends and I decided we wanted to go the Ring and paid for a lap in the BMW M5 Ring Taxi. We were offered a chance to be driven by Sabine if we waited which of course we did and her driving ability was just unbelievable, she drove the huge M5 like a go-kart and I was sure I was going to rip the door handle off. It all seemed so easy to her as well since she just chatted away while casually power sliding the car on a corner, facing the barrier and overtaking another car at the same time. Despite her fame she was extremely friendly as well and did mention she reckoned she could beat the Transit time in a more powerful VW Transporter.

i-vqJvwkH-X3.jpg
 

Cowley

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Really sad news and huge loss to motorsport, I thought she was fantastic on Top Gear with the Jaguar and then the van so my friends and I decided we wanted to go the Ring and paid for a lap in the BMW M5 Ring Taxi. We were offered a chance to be driven by Sabine if we waited which of course we did and her driving ability was just unbelievable, she drove the huge M5 like a go-kart and I was sure I was going to rip the door handle off. It all seemed so easy to her as well since she just chatted away while casually power sliding the car on a corner, facing the barrier and overtaking another car at the same time. Despite her fame she was extremely friendly as well and did mention she reckoned she could beat the Transit time in a more powerful VW Transporter.

i-vqJvwkH-X3.jpg

What a wonderful story, thanks posting that.
 

43096

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Really sad news and huge loss to motorsport, I thought she was fantastic on Top Gear with the Jaguar and then the van so my friends and I decided we wanted to go the Ring and paid for a lap in the BMW M5 Ring Taxi. We were offered a chance to be driven by Sabine if we waited which of course we did and her driving ability was just unbelievable, she drove the huge M5 like a go-kart and I was sure I was going to rip the door handle off. It all seemed so easy to her as well since she just chatted away while casually power sliding the car on a corner, facing the barrier and overtaking another car at the same time. Despite her fame she was extremely friendly as well and did mention she reckoned she could beat the Transit time in a more powerful VW Transporter.
What a fantastic story. Too often the phrase "never meet your heroes" is true - great to see it wasn't with Sabine. That she managed to have the Top Gear audience wrapped round her little finger says so much about her talent and personality: not something you'd think a German woman would be able to do!

RIP - she'll be long remembered.
 

brad465

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Very sad, we need more people with her kind of personality. I never realised she was ill with cancer for years until today so came as a shock. RIP
 

Mcr Warrior

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A very likeable TV personality full of enthusiasm, talent and charisma.

Gone far too soon. :|
 

JohnMcL7

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The BBC have put up a half hour tribute mostly focused on her time on Top Gear:


I thought it was a good watch and still love seeing her berate Jeremy in the Jaguar and then just completely kick his ass with her own lap which was a fast time for traffic and a car like that. I'd have liked to see a bit more of a feature on the N24 because it is a completely insane race unlike any others and to win there really takes incredible skill.
 
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LOL The Irony

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I thought it was a good watch and still love seeing her berate Jeremy in the Jaguar and then just completely kick his ass with her own lap which was a fast time for traffic and a car like that. I'd have liked to see a bit more of a feature on the N24 because it is a completely insane race unlike any others and to win there really takes incredible skill.
I watched it yesterday and it was pretty good, shame they didn't show much if anything of the UK Vs Germany episode.
 

Doomotron

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My favourite moments with her were when she was with Rory Reid on two occasions. One time she was driving Rory around the Nürburgring in a Volkswagen Golf R and scared him to bits. And possibly her funniest moments were when she was training Rory Reid to beat a lap record in the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, while shouting the amazing line "SCARE ME!!!" and being pleased when Rory drove it straight off the track!
 

JohnMcL7

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My favourite moments with her were when she was with Rory Reid on two occasions. One time she was driving Rory around the Nürburgring in a Volkswagen Golf R and scared him to bits. And possibly her funniest moments were when she was training Rory Reid to beat a lap record in the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, while shouting the amazing line "SCARE ME!!!" and being pleased when Rory drove it straight off the track!
I hadn't watched the new Top Gear but I thought that was a great moment given he was expecting to be told off but she was just delighted and of course she was right.
 
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