After their Instagram post in front of a romantic background, former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher (49) and his partner Étienne were enthusiastic about the reactions. “Ralf & Étienne are overwhelmed by the wonderful feedback worldwide, nobody would have expected that,” a family spokeswoman told the German Press Agency when asked.
Schumacher was seen hand in hand with a man in an Instagram post and made his homosexuality public. The best thing in life is when you have the right partner by your side with whom you can share everything, wrote the brother of Formula 1 world record holder Michael Schumacher.
Mac David: “I stand behind you 100%”
The photograph shows the two men in the rear view, looking out to sea, apparently from a boat. The sun turns the sky red-yellow. Within a short time, the post was liked by thousands of people on Sunday evening.
Schumacher’s son David (22) wrote under the photo: “I am very happy that you have finally found someone who you can say that you feel very comfortable and safe, it does not matter if you are a man or a woman, I am behind you dad 100% and I wish you all the best and congratulations.”
A spokesperson for the family also explained: “For Ralf’s family, private life is a priority and, as before, it is a private matter. Neither his partner Étienne, nor Ralf nor his son David will comment further on what has been said at the moment. We ask that you continue to respect everyone’s privacy.”
Heart emoji from TV colleagues
Schumacher used to be a successful racing driver himself. He started in 180 Formula 1 races, winning six of them. He later took part in junior racing series as a team principal and also promoted his son David’s career. Ralf Schumacher was married to Cora Schumacher, the couple has been separated for many years.
The former Formula 1 driver has been working regularly as a TV pundit for the Sky pay channel since 2019 and joins the motorsport elite on its world tour every year. Fellow Sky commentators Sascha Roos and Peter Hardenacke responded to Schumacher’s Instagram post with a red heart emoji.