'Queen of the Nurburgring' Sabine Schmitz dies aged 51

Sabine Schmitz has died at the age of 51 following a long battle with cancer.

Schmitz was nicknamed 'Queen of the Nurburgring' after becoming the first woman to win the 24 Hours of Nurburgring in 1996.

She won it again a year later in 1997 and then claimed the VLN-championship in 1998.

Her success at the famous German circuit handed her the nickname of 'Queen of the Nurburgring' as well as ‘the fastest taxi driver in the world’ for driving passengers around the track in a BMW M5.

Schmitz was also known for her role on BBC car programme Top Gear, joining the presenting team in 2016

In 2020, Schmitz revealed that she had been suffering from "an extremely persistent cancer" for three years, where she explained she had relapsed after soughting treatment initially

In a statement released by Frikadelli Racing - the team she founded with her husband Klaus Abbelen - it was announced that Schmitz had died on Tuesday following her long battle against cancer.

“Sabine Schmitz passed away yesterday (Tuesday) after her brave fight against cancer,” the team said.

“She was 51 years old. Klaus Abbelen and all relatives and friends are deeply saddened by the immeasurable loss.”

The Nurburgring paid tribute to Schmitz with a short statement on social media.

“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!”