A tribute to Sabine Schmitz, Queen of the Nürburgring
- Estelle Lefevre
- Dec 25, 2023
- 2 min read
We cannot talk about women in motorsport without talking about the pioneers who paved the way for so many others. Sabine Schmitz was one of them.
Born in 1969, the German driver could’ve had a very different life. Sabine started out following her parents’ path and initially trained to join the same profession as them in the hotelier sector. But having grown up near one of the world's most legendary circuits, Sabine's destiny was meant to be quite different. She was destined to rule over the Nürburgring.
The some 20,000 laps she estimated to have made around the Green Hell are just one proof of this. Furthermore, one of her greatest achievements was becoming the only female racing driver to win the Nurburgring 24 Hours. At the wheel of a BMW M3 Group N, co-driven by Johannes Scheid, Sabine has twice achieved the remarkable feat of winning what’s considered to be one of the world's toughest races - winning the N24 in 1996 and again the following year. In 2008, she returned to the challenging race, but this time at the wheel of a Porsche. And, once again, she proved her talent by brilliantly claiming third place on the podium.
This perfect command of the mythical circuit was also due to the fact that Sabine became the "world's fastest taxi driver". Indeed, until 2011, Sabine was a driver for the Ring-Taxi, a service offered by BMW which allows customers to take a lap around the Nordschleife in a BMW M5.
This led to Sabine being recognised and invited as an occasional guest commentator on various television programmes. Her energy and good humour began to conquer the UK in 2002 when she appeared on the BBC programme Meets the Neighbours.
Sabine became an important figure in the TV show Top Gear, in which she appeared for the first time in 2004. During her time on the show, she treated the audience to great moments such as driving a Ford Transit diesel van in an attempt to beat a host’s time in a Jaguar, which she missed by just nine seconds. In 2016, Schmitz became one of the show's presenters alongside Chris Evans.
Unfortunately, in 2017 she was diagnosed with cancer. She passed away in March 2021, much to the shock of the motorsport world.
What must be remembered about Sabine is above all her life: whether at the wheel of a car, at the helm of Frikadelli Racing, flying a helicopter or in front of the cameras…
Sabine has always risen to the challenge.
As the many tributes left by those who knew and were inspired by her bear witness, Sabine was not only a remarkable racing driver but also an extraordinary human being. In tribute to her memory, the Nurburgring has renamed the first corner of the circuit "Sabine-Schmitz-kurve".
Sabine was, is and always will be a motorsport icon who commands respect.
I’ve always been fascinated by racing, and learning about Sabine’s story is truly inspiring. The idea of someone making over 20,000 laps around the Nürburgring and becoming the only female driver to win the 24-hour race twice is just incredible. It shows that passion and dedication can break barriers—whether on the track or in life. Watching her achievements reminds me a bit of the focus you need in a 1v1 lol match: every move matters, and persistence pays off. Sabine’s story makes me want to follow racing more closely and appreciate just how intense and precise it really is.
The article really highlights Sabine's unparalleled skill and knowledge of the Nürburgring, almost like she had a secret code to master every turn. It made me think of the fundamental building blocks of cryptography, something like learning how a caesar cipher works to create or decode messages. Her racing legacy is truly inspiring.
Sabine Schmitz was amazing! Her presence at the Nürburgring felt almost mythical, like something out of a beautifully animated story. It brought to mind those evocative, almost magical visuals you get when using a ghibli ai to transform images. She definitely left an indelible mark.
What a fascinating read about Sabine Schmitz! Her versatility, going from hotelier training to literally being the Queen of the Nürburgring, really shows you can change your path. It's a bit like how you can completely change your look without commitment using something like a hairstyle ai. She truly carved out her own unique identity.
Sabine's ability to win the Nürburgring 24 Hours not once, but twice, is just astounding. It's like she had this incredible strategic mind, always knowing the best way to clear the track, so to speak. I was just playing blockblast the other day and thinking about how strategy is key in so many areas, even racing!