Ralf Schumacher hailed for “big and positive impact” after coming out as gay

F1 Grand Prix, GP Hungary, Hungaroring

Ralf Schumacher hailed for “big and positive impact” after coming out as gay last week with current drivers having expressed their support at last weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton has been vocal in support of gay rights in recent years, having expressed his opinion verbally multiple times and showing his support through various ways including special helmet designs.

Asked about Schumacher's courage to come out as gay, the seven-time F1 world champion sounded a positive note, claiming that it is great that people dare to speak out now.

“I think clearly he’s not felt comfortable being able to say it in the past, and it’s definitely not a new thing,” Hamilton reflected. “But I think it just shows that we are in a time that finally you can take that step and don’t have to fear.

“And hopefully he will be able to say that, that I think he’s so far had only positive feedback from people, and I think that’s because of the time we’re living in and the changes we are [seeing].”

Hamilton added: “Even him taking that step sends such a positive message and liberates others to be able to do the same, and we need more and more people to do that.”

Several other drivers have also wished Schumacher well, including countryman Nico Hulkenberg, who was critical of any negative comments that the post may have received.

“Obviously it’s a very personal matter, but I congratulate that if he’s coming out with that,” the Haas driver commented.

“There’s nothing wrong with that in modern times, where diversity is all to play for. There’s always going to be hate in the world, especially online – that’s a place where people abuse that easily, where they can hide. That’s not great, not fantastic, but other than that, all good.”

Two-time F1 world champion Fernando Alonso joined the group of drivers who welcomed Schumacher's courage to feel comfortable enough to be himself.

“Same comments, congratulations to him,” said Alonso. “Total support from my side and I’m sure all the F1 community. It’s great that he feels good, and we all feel good for him as well.”

Having secured his maiden F1 victory, Oscar Piastri congratulated to Schumacher for feeling safe to come out.

“I think it’s great that he feels comfortable in coming out like that,” the Australian added. “I think that’s what we want as a sport, to be inclusive for everybody, and have people feel safe in coming out or whatever is in their lives. Congratulations to him, and I think it’s a good thing.”

“It is having a really big and positive impact,” he said. “As Lewis said, this is not a new thing for Schumacher, we suppose. He is 49.

“But he’s finally felt able to public about it. He did it in a subtle and beautiful way, expressing that he has someone that he loves, who happens to be the same sex as him.

“He doesn’t want to be a pioneer or a trailblazer. He wants to be open and honest. That’s exactly how it’s been received. We do have a sport, F1 and motorsport in general, which is male, white and heterosexual in general. Perhaps even macho.

“If someone feels able to come out and be themselves, so much the better. I’ll quote Sebastian Vettel. He said: ‘Everyone in the world has an inalienable right to be who they want to be, and love whom they want to love’.”

“You can always do a little more,” he added. “We founded Racing Pride in 2019 in association with Stonewall, an LGBTQ+ charity. Some people say ‘why are you doing that?’ We don’t only race in the western world. We race in places where the culture is disadvantageous to LGBTQ+ people.

“We go into go-karting where young people are struggling with the idea of ‘who am I going to love?’ At the same time as trying to be racing drivers. For mechanics and engineers, for some reasons, being gay is not so embraced as it is for somebody like me.

“Sometimes you speak to somebody working for a team, they’ve worked there for 20 years, they are ‘out’ to their family and married to their same-sex partner, they’re ‘out’ to their neighbours and friends, but the one place they can’t come out is in the factory where they work so hard to make the car go fast.

“That’s a pity. When Racing Pride goes into the factory, we say ‘there will be people suffering with sleepless nights’. If a percentage are unhappy they will deliver work at a lower level than they otherwise would be. In other words, if you get this right, you can make your car go faster. That gets their attention.”