What happened to Sabine Schmitz? How did Sabine Schmitz die at the age of 51?

German racing driver Sabine Schmitz, who earned the reputation as the "Queen of the Nurburgring", passed away at the age of 51. The former Top Gear host had a long battle with cancer before her untimely passing on Tuesday, March 16 (Wednesday IST). Here's a look at what happened to Sabine Schmitz and the cause of her tragic death. 

Sabine Schmitz illness: How did Sabine Schmitz die? 

German racing legend Sabine Schmitz has tragically passed away aged 51 and it has been revealed that the answer to 'What Happened to Sabine Schmitz?' is that she had cancer.The 51-year-old was a familiar face on British television due to her stint on the BBC's Top Gear over the years, first appearing on the show back in 2004. Schmitz revealed last year she had been battling cancer since 2017 which was "extremely persistent", even as fans are shocked while asking 'How did Sabine Schmitz die at such a young age?'

The Queen of the Nurburgring had said, “Many of you have probably wondered why I was on the list of participants on our Porsche in the NSL and then didn’t drive after all. I have been fighting an extremely persistent cancer that has not been eliminated with the resources so far".

She further added, "It got a little better – but now it’s come back with full force. Now I have to draw all the strength and nerve to master the next powerful therapies … hoping something [good] will happen. In addition, I would like to thank everyone for their help and support in my everyday life, and encouragement in writing!".Nurburgring, the iconic German racing track, revealed the tragic news post the Sabine Schmitz illness message on Wednesday morning by paying a heartfelt tribute to her on social media. 

Sabine Schmitz grew up within the boundaries of Germany's iconic race track and earned the nickname "Queen of the Nurburgring" after accounting that she completed more than 20,000 laps of the track. The racing icon also became known as the 'world’s fastest taxi driver' by driving passengers around the track in a BMW M5. The Sabine Schmitz top gear stint began in 2004 alongside Jeremy Clarkson and then became a regular feature on the popular TV show on BBC.

Following Clarkson's exit in 2015, Schmitz joined the revamped hosting line-up and retained a recurring role during the BBC's period of various presenters. The Sabine Schmitz top gear stint saw her also work with Chris Evans, Matt LeBlanc, and Paddy McGuinness and Andrew Flintoff during her spell on Top Gear. McGuinness was one of the many to pay tribute to the German racing legend and revealed that she taught him how to drive a Ferrari very fast and hunted him down in a banger race. 

(Image Courtesy: Nurburgring Twitter)