Sabine Schmitz will make eagerly-awaited return to the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) when the WTCC heads back to the toughest track of them all – the fearsome Nurburgring Nordschleife – later this month.
Nicknamed the Queen of the Ring for her rapid laps of the legendary 25.378km circuit, the racer and BBC Top Gear presenter will take on some of the world’s best touring car drivers in WTCC race of Germany from 26-28 May.
However, her busy schedule during the ADAC 24-hour weekend, which includes filming a feature for the Top Gear television show and competing in the event, will limit her time behind the wheel of her ALL-INKL.COM Munnich Motorsport Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1. This means her expert knowledge of the track and its 64 heart-stopping corners will come pivotal in her pursuit of more WTCC points after she scored on her championship debut last year, the first female to achieve such a feat.
“I enjoyed it very much to compete against world champion touring car drivers on the best circuit in the world,” said Germany’s Schmitz. “Because of my Top Gear commitments I haven’t got the time to do the official test and Free Practice 1 on Thursday, which is a bit of a disaster because I need lots of practice in the Chevrolet as it’s so different to the Porsche I am usually driving.
“I will have a better chance if it rains so my hope is more water, more success! Whatever, I must be crazy to measure myself against these guys without the same amount of time to practice.”