The Queen of the Nürburgring had been battling cancer for over three years. Fittingly, the Nürburgring was one of the first to pay tribute to the late star. “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!” Sabine gained fame in the early 2000s after joining Top Gear UK, where she broke the ten-minute barrier around Nordschleife in a diesel-powered Jaguar S-Type, before attempting the same feat the next year in a Ford Transit.