Jeremy Clarkson pays tribute as Top Gear legend Sabine Schmitz dies aged 51

Schmitz revealed last year that she had been battling cancer since 2017

Jeremy Clarkson has paid tribute to the late Top Gear host Sabine Schmitz, who has died aged 51. The death of Schmitz, who was a racing driver for BMW and Porsche, hosted the TV show from 2016 to 2020. Last year, she revealed that she had been diagnosed with cancer in 2017. Upon hearing of her death, Clarkson said: "Terrible news about Sabine Schmitz. Such a sunny person and so full of beans." She was first involved with the show in 2004, when she sought to help Clarkson set a 10-minute lap around the legendary Nurburgring. In a later episode, she beat Clarkson's time in a stripped out van, before being invited to host the show in 2016. The Nurburgring confirmed the racing driver's death on Twitter, saying" “The Nurburgring 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!" Speaking of her cancer battle last year, Sabine said on social media: “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," she said. "I would like to provide enlightenment here, I think I owe it to my/our fans! "Since the end of 2017, I have been fighting an extremely persistent cancer that has not been eliminated with the resources so far. 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. So I say goodbye 'probably' for the first time this season."