A few weeks have passed since the passing of Sabine Schmitz, the “Queen of the Nürburgring”. The premature disappearance of the German pilot — she was the first woman to win the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring, having won the race twice —, and also a television star, is still felt today.
Recently, Top Gear, perhaps the most responsible for making Sabine Schmitz known to the world, paid her a tribute in the form of a television special of approximately 30 minutes, where several presenters of the program, from today and from the past, worked for the beside her, they paid homage to the pilot and person.
And, of course, former presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May would have to be present. It was during their time as Top Gear presenters that Sabine Schmitz rose to fame, after the episode where Jeremy Clarkson, with the invaluable help de Sabine, managed to make a detour around the Nürburgring in less than 10 minutes in a Jaguar S-Type Diesel.
After she said she could do the same with a commercial van, the Top Gear “boys” took her words to the letter and so television history became: Sabine Schmitz extracted everything a Ford Transit had to give to make a back to “green hell” in less than 10 minutes.
One of the many episodes remembered in this Top Gear tribute by themselves, marking Clarkson, Hammond and May's return to the show following their departure five years ago.
There are several testimonies that we can hear and see in this tribute, especially from current presenters — Chris Harris, Paddy McGuiness and Andrew Flintoff — as well as others who have gone there, namely Matt LeBlanc and Rory Reid.
The importance of Sabine Schmitz as a model and inspiration for other women in motor sport has not been forgotten either, with the testimonies of drivers Jessica Hawkins and Susie Wolff.
Without further ado, Top Gear's tribute to Sabine Schmitz: