Meet newly out Formula One racing legend Ralf Schumacher & his boyfriend Etienne

The sports world is celebrating the coming out of retired Formula One driver Ralf Schumacher, a member of the great Schumacher racing family, after he posted about his partner, a man named Etienne, on Instagram.

Schumacher and his partner have received an outpouring of support since coming out, writing, "Many thanks for the many congratulations and comments. We are very happy and thank you all," in a follow-up post.

But who exactly is Schumacher, and what makes this a big deal?

Schumacher was a Formula One racecar driver who raced for eleven years from 1997-2007, winning six grands prix. He made his F1 debut with Jordan Grand Prix in 1997, and moved to the Williams team in 1999. He won his first Grand Prix in 2001. He later raced for the Toyota team.

The only other male driver in the history of Formula One to be out as gay is the late Mike Beuttler, who raced in the early 1970s and died in 1988.

Schumacher, who was born in Hürth, Germany in 1975, is the brother of Formula One great Michael Schumacher, who has won the World Championship seven times. The pair are the only siblings to each win Formula One races.

Ralf Schumacher was previously married to Cora Brinkmann from 2001 to 2015, and the two have a son named David, who is also a successful racing driver in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters.

Schumacher came out as gay in July of 2024 when he posted on Instagram sharing a photo of him and his partner, a man named Etienne. "The best thing in life is when you have the right partner by your side with whom you can share everything," Schumacher wrote in the post.

According to a comment left on Schumacher's Instagram post by the couple's friend, the actress Carmen Geiss, the two have been together for two years.

Schumacher and his partner love to travel and love animals, often posting about them. He also has a dog named Lilly.

Scroll through to see more pictures of Schumacher and his partner. And for more on these two lovebirds, make sure to follow them on Instagram, @ralfschumacher_rsc & @etc_cst!