Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher comes out and posts photo with his boyfriend
Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher came out yesterday in a posting to Instagram.
Schumacher, 49, is the younger brother of former seven-times world champion driver Michael Schumacher.
On Instagram, Schumacher posted a photo of himself with another man gazing at a sunset. He said, in German, “The most beautiful thing in life is when you have the right partner by your side with whom you can share everything 🙏”
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The post has had over 370,000 likes.
Schumacher went on to share some reactions from friends on his Instagram stories. One was a posting by actress Carmen Geiss.
In a lengthy Instagram posting, Geiss identified Schumacher’s partner as a Frenchman named Etienne.
Translated from German, Geiss said Schumacher “Confessed his homosexuality. This step was an act of liberation and self-acceptance for him. It was a courageous decision that has matured in him for a long time and one he is now full of pride and confidence. His outing is not only a personal triumph but a sign that he is finally able to live and love his true identity without fear or shame.
“His courage and honesty are inspiring, and I’m endlessly grateful to have him in my life … And I love them both with all my heart and am glad that I found two hearts.”
According to the Daily Mail, Giess also said Etienne was working as Schumacher’s business manager when they fell for one another.
“They met in Monaco. Ralf lives in Salzburg with his son, Etienne lives in Nice. But the two are together quite often,” Geiss said.
She added the pair are “sensationally happy” and have “never had an argument or dispute.”
F1 career and marriage
Schumacher’s Formula One career included stints with Jordan, Williams, and Toyota between 1997 and 2007. His best year was arguably 2001, when he won both the San Marino Grand Prix and Canadian Grand Prix, and subsequently placed fourth in the Drivers’ Championship.
Since retiring from competitive driving, he has become a business entrepreneur and TV pundit.
He married a former model, Cora-Caroline Brinkmann, in 2001. They had a son, David, who is also now a racing driver. The couple divorced in 2015 and went through an acrimonious divorce battle over Schumacher’s reported €100million fortune ($109million).
Son reacts to dad coming out
Son David posted a reaction to his dad’s coming out under his dad’s Instagram photo. He said, “I am very happy you have 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.”
His comment has had over 29,000 likes.
This is impossible to read with dry eyes: it’s an Instagram post by David Schumacher, whose 6-time #F1 GP winner dad Ralf Schumacher came out as a gay man on Instagram at the weekend. Coming out is never easy, but Ralf has been very brave & David’s reaction is very lovely. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/l1rTXi4YrK
— Matt Bishop 🏳️🌈 🏁 (@TheBishF1) July 15, 2024
On his Instagram, Etienne re-shared Schumacher’s photo of them both, adding a love heart symbol of his own.
He also shared a photo of him and Schumacher on a mountaintop, and captioned it, “Above the clouds.”
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