LOOK: Formula One driver comes out as gay
"The most beautiful thing in life is when you have the right partner by your side."
Former Formula One driver Ralf Schumacher announced in an Instagram post on Sunday that he is in a same-sex relationship.
The brother of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher posted a picture of himself and his partner Etienne watching a sunset over the ocean.
"The most beautiful thing in life is when you have the right partner by your side with whom you can share everything," Schumacher wrote in his Instagram post.
The 49-year-old won six grand prix races in an 11-year career that ended in 2007.
According to Reuters, he was previously married to German TV personality Cora Schumacher, with whom he has a son, David, 22.
"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," David wrote on Instagram.
German actress Carmen Geiss, who is allegedly a close friend of the couple, also took to Instagram to celebrate the couple and her friend Etienne.
"Today, he confessed his homosexuality," she said of Ralf. "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.Ā
"His outing is not only a personal triumph but a sign that he is finally able to live and love his true identity without fear or shame."
According to Reuters, Briton Mike Beuttler is the only other known male gay driver in Formula One's history.
Beuttler raced from 1971 to 1973 and died in 1988.
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Image: Instagram/Ā Ralf Schumacher