F1: Ralf Schumacher’s coming out paves the way for greater diversity

This article was originally published in English

This week, former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher came out via an Instagram post, featuring him alongside his partner, Étienne. Schumacher is the most high-profile athlete in the sport to publicly come out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, marking a significant step forward for motorsport.

During his career, the 49-year-old German driver won six races and 27 podiums in 180 races, between 1997 and 2007. He is also one of the few Formula 1 drivers to have taken part in the sport as a brother, as he has always been on the starting line alongside seven-time world champion Michael.

This Sunday, Ralf Schumacher posted a photo of himself and Etienne on Instagram with the following caption: “The most beautiful thing in life is when you have the right partner by your side with whom you can share everything”.

Since the publication, the former racing driver has seen messages pouring in from all sides, welcoming this initiative.

Ralf Schumacher is not the first Formula 1 driver to identify as LGBTQ+. Mike Beuttler is often considered the first “openly gay F1 driver.”

However, Ralf Schumacher is by far the most high-profile driver to come out, and his moment will undoubtedly be seen as a turning point for gay representation at the highest level of motorsport, even though it has been 17 years since he last raced professionally.

In recent years, Formula 1 has made efforts to embrace diversity. Organisations such as Racing Pride promote LGBTQ+ inclusion within the sport and advocate for queer people who want to move up the ranks in a sport that has traditionally been rooted in heterosexual representation. At other levels, improvements have been seen, such as the success of several drivers in the women’s Formula W series, as well as their ambassador programme that celebrates queer people in the sport, both as drivers and other team members.

With just 20 drivers in the premier series, the Formula 1 grid is still plagued by a lack of diversity. It has been over 30 years since a woman took part in a Formula 1 grand prix.

What representation of LGBTQ+ people in other sports?

Major European sports have a mixed approach to LGBTQ+ representation. While the increasingly popular women’s game has seen many players come out publicly, such as the England women’s team, the same is not true for the men’s game.

Across Europe, homophobia remains an inherent problem in football. In the UK, a handful of players have come out over the years.

The first English player to come out was Justin Fashanu in 1990, which ended his career due to homophobia in the sport. The player eventually committed suicide in 1998.

Since Fashanu, other players have come out after finishing their professional careers. The only player to come out during his career was Blackpool FC striker Jake Daniels. There has still not been an openly gay player in the English Premier League during his career.

Despite this, the Premier League has committed to improving the visibility of LGBTQ+ people through initiatives such as the Rainbow Laces campaign.

In Germany, the most famous player to come out is Marcus Urban, who almost became a professional player in the 1990s, before giving up and coming out privately. Urban is now the most active LGBTQ+ activist in sports in Germany.

Since Marcus Urban, Thomas Hitzlsperger has come out, after retiring in 2013.

In France, the situation remains somewhat different. Although there are similar initiatives in Ligue 1 to combat homophobia, it has been met with the refusal of a number of players, who have refused to display the rainbow flag.