Legendary racing driver Sabine Schmitz tragically lost her battle with cancer earlier this year, devastating the automotive world. Schmitz was a fantastic driver whose achievements ranged from motorsport, to business, to television. However, Schmitz is most remembered for her “Queen of the Nurburgring” nickname. Not only is she the only woman to win the 24 Hours of Nürburgring but she was the Nürburgring taxi driver in various BMW M cars for many years, giving tourists white-knuckle rides around the most difficult track in the world.
Due to her legendary status at the ‘Ring, the iconic track will now have a corner named after her. In fact, the first corner of the Nordschleife, a tight left-hander, will now be known as the Sabine-Schmitz-Kurve.
After her death, countless fans and enthusiasts wanted a corner of the ‘Ring named after her. A petition was even started to get the management of the track to name a corner after her. The management team felt it was necessary to give her family time to mourn and heal before doing anything ceremonious, which was the right thing to do. Now, though, that some time has passed, it’s great to honor Schmitz’s incredible body of work, achievements, and legacy at the most iconic race track in the world.
Schmitz had a long, successful relationship with BMW. Not only did she win the 24 Hours of Nürburgring in an E36 1996 “Eifelblitz” BMW M3 but she drove BMW M5s as the driver of the famous Nürburgring Taxi. Schmitz didn’t exclusively drive BMWs throughout her career but both Schmitz and BMW are huge parts of each others’ histories.
Sabine Schmitz was one of the best drivers of her time, one of the most charismatic and interesting people in the industry, and, from all accounts, an incredibly kind person. She will be missed and the her corner of the Nürburgring will continue to honor her legacy.
