Yahoo Autos Formula 1 Veteran Ralf Schumacher Comes Out as Gay
On Sunday, long-time Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher shared on social media that he is in a relationship with a man. Schumacher instantly becomes one of the most notable racing drivers to ever publicly come out as a member of the gay community.
Schumacher, the brother of seven-time Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher and the uncle of 2020 Formula 2 champion Mick Schumacher, posted a picture of himself watching the sunset with a man The Guardian identified as his business manager, Étienne. "Das schönste im Leben ist wenn man den richtigen Partner an seiner Seite hat mit dem man alles teilen kann 🙏," Schumacher wrote for a caption, which translates to "The best thing in life is when you have the right partner by your side with whom you can share everything."
His son David, also a racing driver, added in an Instagram comment that "I am very happy that you have finally found someone with whom you really feel that you feel very comfortable and secure, no matter if you are a man or a woman, I am 100% behind you dad and wish you all the best and congratulations."
The elder Schumacher won races six times in his 11-season Formula 1 career, a stretch that peaked with finishes between 4th and 6th in each of his full-time seasons with Williams between 2000 and 2003. He also qualified on pole six times, highlighted by one of just three pole positions ever secured by a Toyota F1 team driver. Schumacher also won a Macau Grand Prix in 1995, won three races in Japan in a McLaren F1, and wrapped up his career with five years in the DTM with Mercedes.
Although Schumacher's decision to come out is rare in auto racing, and in sports in general, he is not the first high-profile racing figure to do so. Three-time Le Mans winner Hurley Haywood came out publicly in an autobiography published in 2018.
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