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.

Ralf Schumacher, then of Williams, is hugged by his brother Michael after winning the Canadian Grand Prix in 2001
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Ralf Schumacher, then of Williams, is hugged by his brother Michael after winning the Canadian Grand Prix in 2001Credit: AFP

Ralf announced he was in a gay relationship in a moving post this week
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Ralf announced he was in a gay relationship in a moving post this weekCredit: instagram.com/ralfschumacher_rsc/

He was previously married to Cora Schumacher, a former racing driver and Playboy model
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He was previously married to Cora Schumacher, a former racing driver and Playboy modelCredit: AP:Associated Press
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.