2024-07-31 05:36:57
About two weeks ago, Ralf Schumacher made his relationship with friend Étienne public on Instagram. Now the former Formula 1 driver revealed why he took this step.
“The best thing in life is when you have the right partner by your side with whom you can share everything,” wrote Ralf Schumacher in mid-July, accompanying a photo showing the former Formula 1 driver on a boat with his friend Étienne. The post was liked more than 500,000 times, and numerous fans commented on the post, congratulating the 49-year-old on his coming out.
Now, around two weeks after the moving post on Instagram, Ralf Schumacher has spoken in detail for the first time with his Sky colleague Peter Hardenacke about his public coming out and the reactions to it. “To be honest, I didn’t expect it, nor that so many people would be interested, and that so much would be said about it publicly. And I thought that I was a bit out of focus,” says the ex-Formula 1 star in Hardenacke’s podcast “Hardenacke meets”.
He particularly highlighted the positive reactions from the world of racing. “But I also thought it was nice to see how it worked in Formula 1, with a lot of respect,” said the former Williams driver. “The response from the team bosses, drivers and so on” was “very nice to see” for him.
When asked whether he wanted to convey a broader message with his post, Schumacher answered with a clear no. “I don’t want to stand for anything either, but this is purely selfish about Étienne and me, and that it is also clear and unambiguous who the partner at my side is so that I can live a normal life,” he continued. “I just hope that we can have some peace and quiet.”
After his coming out, numerous celebrities spoke out, including Carmen Geiss and Bill Kaulitz. Ralf Schumacher’s son David also spoke out. “I’m very happy that you’ve finally found someone with whom you can really tell that you feel very comfortable and safe, regardless of whether they’re a man or a woman,” the 22-year-old commented on the post. “I’m 100 percent behind you, Dad, and wish you all the best and congratulations.” His ex-wife Cora Schumacher, however, has remained silent.