HIS older brother Michael is considered by many to be the greatest F1 driver of all time.
But Ralf Schumacher, who is himself a six-time Grand Prix winner, was never one to live in the shadows of success – instead forging a remarkable life of his own, on and off the grid.
This week, the 49-year old announced that he is in a same-sex relationship, becoming just the second male F1 driver to publicly come out as a member of the LGTBQ+ community.
On Sunday, he posted a touching photo of himself gazing at the sunset alongside another man on Instagram, with the caption: “The most beautiful thing in life is when you have the right partner by your side with whom you can share everything.”
His new love is Frenchman Etienne, who was working as Ralf’s business manager when the pair fell in love.
After the former Williams driver’s brave post, he was immediately greeted with an outpouring of love online, as many rushed to congratulate the pair.
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His close pal, actress Carmen Geiss, replied: “After two years you can finally show your love to the world. I have known Ralf for more than 25 years and he has always been a great joy to me.”
Married for 14 years to Cora Schumacher, a former racing driver and Playboy model, Ralf previously hit the headlines when his notorious fling with Katie Price allegedly sparked the breakdown of her engagement.
Meanwhile, his close relationship with Michael, 55, was reportedly tested by tension between their wives, and rocked further by the German legend’s tragic skiing accident.
Last year, Ralf lamented the 2013 incident, which has left his brother with severe brain injuries, with news of his health remaining a closely-guarded secret over the past decade.
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Ralf told German publication Bunte: “Unfortunately, sometimes life isn’t fair. We have to accept it.
“When I see his children Gina-Maria and Mick, my heart smiles. If someone in the family is looking for my advice, I’m there. They go their own way.”
Between 1997 and 2007, Ralf raced for Jordan, Williams and Toyota, winning six F1 races.
However, his trophy cabinet paled in comparison to Michael, who won seven world titles during his time with Benetton (1994-1995) and Ferrari (2000-2004).
While many might assume competing on the same grid led to tensions, Ralf – who retired in 2007 and now works as a pundit – insists their relationship was “very open”.
He explained: “I knew what he was doing and he knew what I was doing. It was always good to be able to talk to somebody that you could trust.”
In fact, earlier this year, Ralf admitted his one big regret was that he never got to share a Formula 1 team with his brother.
“It would have been amazing, but on the other hand the problem was always… first of all there was never really an opportunity,” Ralf told the Formula for Success podcast.
“And second, one of us would have always lost. I don’t know whether that would have been good from a marketing point of view or a relationship point of view between brothers.
“Going back, it would have been amazing to share a season together.”
Marriage to Playboy model
Away from the paddock, Ralf was married to Cora-Caroline Brinkmann, a German model and TV personality, for 14 years.
Cora has also competed in racing herself, including in two rounds of the 2018 GT4 Central European Cup.
The pair tied the knot in 2001 and have a son, David, now 22, who has followed his father into a career in motorsports.
When Ralf announced the news on Sunday, David commented: “I am very happy that you have finally found someone with whom you really feel that you feel very comfortable and secure…I am 100% behind you dad and wish you all the best and congratulations.”
At the height of their fame, Ralf and Cora were considered one of the most high-profile couples in the motorsport world.
But their marriage deteriorated in 2014, leading to disputes over the driver’s £84million fortune, their homes in Germany, Austria, and France, and their then 13-year-old son.
I am a sincere, cosmopolitan woman. Not the sort who puts on an act or parades the fact that she is Mother Teresa
Cora
In November that year, police were called to their house in Cologne after a neighbour said they heard “screams coming from inside the house”.
Police superintendent Anton Hamchder confirmed the incident, adding: “The couple both accused each other of assaults.
“There is an ongoing investigation in the context of domestic violence.”
It was reported that Ralf put a block on Cora’s credit cards, which were paid for by him, and gave her an allowance of less than £8,000 a month.
The bitter divorce was finally resolved with Cora receiving a £5million settlement and the family home at Bergheim.
But the pair, who were once estranged, seem to have patched things up since then, with Ralf congratulating his ex-wife on joining the cast of the German version of I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here in January this year.
Cora was eventually dumped from the jungle after three days, however, because TV bosses were concerned she might reveal secrets about Michael’s health during a live show, German media reported.
The stunning model is no stranger to controversy. In 2015, she caused a stir when she posed nude for the German Playboy magazine.
Last July, the 47-year-old year old launched an OnlyFans account where she shares nude photos.
Her celebrity lifestyle was also reported to have driven a wedge between the two brothers, due to her frosty relationship with Michael’s wife, Corrina.
“Corinna and I have little contact,” she told a German magazine in the early Noughties.
“We holiday in different places, we hardly phone, we live somewhere else. A pity really, as we both have children. But Corinna’s nature and mine are totally different.
“I am a sincere, cosmopolitan woman. Not the sort who puts on an act or parades the fact that she is Mother Teresa. My sister-in-law is stuck with the label of being the ‘perfect’ wife in the ‘perfect’ world and that sort of thing.
Katie Price fling
Before his marriage to Cora, Ralf’s flirty relationship with former glamour model Katie Price made headlines in 1998, reportedly leading to the end of her engagement to Warren Furman, better known as Gladiators star Ace.
Warren, 51, was said to have become jealous when Katie, 46, began hanging out with the F1 ace and the couple called it quits.
Katie – who used to go by the stage name Jordan – met Ralf at a shoot for Esquire, before he invited her to Germany.
It is thought that things fell apart due to the language barrier, with their relationship only lasting a matter of weeks.
Following Ralf’s announcement this week, pal Carmen revealed he has been in a relationship with French business partner, Etienne, for two years.
She told Bild: “The two are often together…never argue and are sensationally happy.”
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According to the German news outlet, Ralf continues to live in Salzburg while Etienne lives in Nice.
Etienne is said to divide his time between Cape Town in South Africa and the French Riviera, which is just 30 minutes from the F1 Mecca of Monaco.
Ralf is only the second male F1 driver known to be in a same-sex relationship.
The first was Mike Beuttler, who raced in 29 Grand Prixs from 1971 to 1973, before disappearing from the public eye for over a decade.
In 1998, he died of complications from AIDS in Los Angeles in 1988, aged just 48.
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“It is really interesting to look at Beuttler’s story now – it shows LGBT+ people have always been part of motorsport and they have been really successful,” Richard Morris, co-founder of Racing Pride, told the BBC.
“It also reminds us of the challenges faced.”
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
