The world of motorsport mourns journalist Karin Sturm.

      The German journalist Karin Sturm was well-known in Formula 1, as she worked in the paddock for over 40 years, although less so in recent times. Recently, it was announced that she had passed away – Karin was only 64 years old...

      She was not just a reporter in the traditional sense of the profession – Karin published about a dozen books on Formula 1 and the heroes of this championship, including biographies of stars like Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, and Sebastian Vettel.

      The motorsport world could not help but react to this sad news – for example, here is what Matt Bishop, a well-known British journalist and former editor of F1 Racing who later headed the press service at McLaren, wrote: “I was saddened to hear of Karin Sturm's death, a journalist who became a legend in the paddock, as she was always distinguished not only by her kindness and friendliness: of all the people I met, few knew as much about the life and career of Ayrton Senna.”

      The journalists at F1News.ru also have their memories of Karin Sturm, as we had the opportunity to cross paths in the race press centers, and she was always ready to help with advice and share information.

      Karin also actively collaborated with the Austrian publication Motorsport Magazin, and today a text by Christian Danner, a former Formula 1 driver, appeared on its pages dedicated to the journalist who left us too soon:

      “In the first half of the 80s, Karin was at almost every race, and I remember those times well. Don’t forget, back then the world of Formula 1 was completely different from what it is now. There were no perfectly crafted releases, no ready-made transcripts of press conferences, and the teams' press services didn’t serve you all their statements on a silver platter.

      Everything happened in real time, before your eyes, in ‘analog mode’. If you didn’t personally attend a race, follow the events on the track, and communicate with people in the paddock, you simply wouldn’t have anything to write about. From today’s perspective, it’s hard to imagine how much effort was needed back then to gather the necessary information. Journalists needed to know whom to talk to, feel the nuances of people’s characters, and understand the situation.

      Karin was distinguished by this very instinct. I was a driver at the time, and we could all trust her. Back then, Karin was almost the only German journalist in the paddock – she was a rare exception. To work in Formula 1 in those years, one needed not only knowledge – even more important were perseverance, courage, and passion. Karin had all these qualities…

      And today, I primarily want to thank her for all the tremendous work she did for Formula 1 and all of German motorsport, for her love of racing, for her enthusiasm and perseverance. She truly was a special person…”