McLaren boss Zak Brown responds to Ralf Schumacher coming out as gay on Instagram

Ralf Schumacher recently came out as gay.

McLaren boss Zak Brown responds to Ralf Schumacher coming out as gay on Instagram

Ralf Schumacher and Zak Brown (Via IMAGO)

F1 has been historically dominated by conservative ideology. However, with the championship aiming towards being a more inclusive series, multiple personnel within the paddock have revealed their identities. Similarly, six-times F1 race winner Ralf Schumacher recently took to Instagram to share his sexuality.

Ralf Schumacher is the younger brother of F1 legend Michael Schumacher. The German has achieved six career victories in his time in the championship and was regarded as one of the best during the early 2000s. However, his performance tapered off during the end of his career and took retired in 2007.

Despite this, the 49-year-old has been a staple of the F1 paddock and recently came out as gay. The F1 world welcomed his move as McLaren CEO Zak Brown congratulated the German.

FS Video
Awesome
Zak Brown commented

After posting a picture with his partner and publicly accepting his sexual orientation, supportive messages flooded in the comment section. One such message included McLaren’s Zak Brown, who commented ‘awesome’ and congratulated the former F1 driver on coming out amid fears of backlash.

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Former McLaren personnel sheds light on how he was treated when he came out as gay

Before Ralf Schumacher, two other drivers had accepted their queer status in F1. Despite multiple drivers and personnel coming out of the realms of conservation, the treatment of such people within the paddock has not always been acceptable.

Matt Bishop (Ex-Head of Communications and Public Relations), Martin Whitmarsh (Ex-Teamchef McLaren)
Matt Bishop (Ex-Head of Communications and Public Relations), Martin Whitmarsh (Ex-Teamchef McLaren) Via IMAGO)

One such instance was revealed by former McLaren‘s Director of Communication, Matt Bishop, who recalled how he was treated when he confessed about his sexual orientation.

I did get some homophobia, most of which was said behind the back but there was one driver who I won’t name who called me the ‘fat faggot’ habitually and to my face.
Matt Bishop said in the book F1 Racing Confidential

The 61-year-old revealed that he had faced some homophobia within the paddock. He then recalled that he was hurled abuses at him for being queer, but he had gotten used to such remarks and focused on doing his work.

Despite such instances, the F1 sphere has evolved and multiple drivers have publicly supported the pride movement. Moreover, Lewis Hamilton has sported a pride helmet at various races throughout his career to use his platform to spread the message. Thus, the championship is more inclusive than ever before!

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