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.
Thousands of “Like” clicks
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.
Ralf Schumacher’s son David also responded. “I’m so happy you’ve finally found someone who makes you feel really comfortable and safe,” the 20-year-old wrote on Instagram. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a man or a woman. I stand behind you 100 percent Dad and wish you the best! 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 everyone’s privacy continue to be respected.”
Married to Cora Schumacher
Ralf Schumacher is the brother of seven-time Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher and was also a successful racing driver himself. He started in 180 Formula 1 races, winning six of them.
He then took part in junior racing series as a team leader and promoted the career of his son David (22). Ralf Schumacher was married to Cora Schumacher, the couple has been separated for many years.
Heart emoji from other commenters
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.
Ralf Schumacher told TV station Sport1: “It wasn’t news to family and close friends, they knew about it for a long time. But many people were involved now. That’s why I wanted to get the message out there myself.”
Looking at his son’s sporting success, Schumacher said: “My son David repeated his victory in the GT Masters from the day before on Sunday. It was the biggest success of his motorsport career to date. I thought this would be a good occasion.”