Michael Schumacher‘s brother Ralf Schumacher, who was married to German model Cora-Caroline Brinkmann for 14 years (2001-2015), recently came out of the closet. The former F1 driver, aged 49, announced his relationship via an Instagram post, sharing a photo of him with his French partner, Etienne. With both looking into a scenic sunset by the sea, he captioned the post, “The most beautiful thing in life is when you have the right partner by your side with whom you can share everything”, finally sharing his secret with the world.

A swarm of blue tick accounts filled the comments section, congratulating him for this announcement. German actress Carmen Geiss, a close friend of the couple, penned a lovely message for them. She praised them for being courageous and revealing their relationship after two years. “Today he confessed his homosexuality,” Geiss wrote in her Instagram post dedicated to Schumacher, adding, “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.”

McLaren F1 CEO Zak Brown also shared his love under Schumacher’s post, albeit very briefly. “Awesome 👍”, said Brown, conveying his feelings in just one word. He wasn’t the only F1 stakeholder there as Mercedes too joined the celebrations with a simple “🫶❤️”. Famed F1 journalist Kym Illman too commented, writing, “Good for you. Hopefully I’ll see you in Budapest this weekend,” referring to the Hungarian GP from 19th to 21st July.

All of these supportive messages meant the world to him. In a follow-up post, Schumacher wrote, “Many thanks for the many congratulations and comments. We are very happy and thank you all😊🙏”. While all this was positively overwhelming for the Sky Sports F1 analyst, his son’s message stood above all.

Ralf Schumacher’s son David Schumacher comforts his father with a heartfelt message

The Daily Mail reveals that Schumacher’s partner Etienne is his business manager and lives in Nice, France. Ralf Schumacher is F1’s second male driver to come out as gay after Mike Buettler, who raced between 1971 and 1973. Familiar support occupies a prime pedestal when there’s hesitancy to make such an announcement. But now that the German finally accepted his relationship in front of the whole world, his 22-year-old son David didn’t let him face it all alone.

“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 they are a man or a woman,” David wrote to his father, continuing, “I am 100 percent behind you dad and wish you all the best and congratulations.” This father-son relationship has always been a warm one, with David describing Ralf as the “best dad” in a birthday for him post two weeks ago.

Schumacher’s compatriot, Laura Wontorra, also a famous sports journalist, encapsulated the essence of these deepening relationships very well. “Love wins ❤️”, she wrote, as thousands celebrated with newfound enthusiasm. Ralf Schumacher’s admission also comes at a time when F1, especially Lewis Hamilton, is promoting inclusivity and diversity within the sport. When the German joins his Sky Sports squad in Hungary this weekend, he will do so with a weight lifted off his shoulders.