Lewis Hamilton said that although he applauded Ralf Schumacher’s decision to come out as gay, Formula One still has a ways to go in promoting more diversity and inclusivity. The brother of seven-time champion Michael Schumacher, a former Formula One racer, came out on social media earlier this week. Since the championship’s inception in 1950, only four drivers have done so, underscoring the dearth of LGBTQ+ representation in the sport.
Rumours around Ralf Schumacher’s sexuality existed during his time in the sport between 1997 and 2007 and speaking before this weekend’s Hungarian GP, Hamilton appeared to intimate that Schumacher had not felt able to come out until long after he left the sport.
“Clearly he has not felt comfortable to say it in the past and it’s definitely not a new thing,” he said. “It just shows we are in a time that finally you can take that step and don’t have to fear. So far he has had only positive feedback from people and that’s because of the time we are living in.”
Hamilton has been outspoken in support of LGBTQ+ issues and rights in the past, specifically alongside Sebastian Vettel in Hungary in 2021, with both drivers protesting against the government’s repressive LGBTQ+ laws. His determination to speak out on issues that concern him was criticised in the past by Schumacher, who called it polarising and dangerous, but the British driver still hopes the German’s actions would have a positive effect.
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