Lewis Hamilton was among many who responded to former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher’s announcement last weekend that he is in a same-sex relationship.
After Ralf Schumacher came out as gay, Lewis Hamilton praised the “positive message” that the former Formula 1 racer had given.
However, the seven-time Formula One champion urged the sport to go above and beyond in providing a “comfortable place” for the LGBTQA+ community. In response to Schumacher’s revelation last Sunday that he was seeing someone of the same sex, Hamilton was acting.
In doing so, the 49-year-old brother of Michael, the other seven-time champion in Formula One, became the sole race winner and one of the very few openly gay drivers in the history of the sport. He still frequents the paddock in his capacity as a TV analyst for Sky Germany.
When asked about the news, Hamilton expressed his hope that it will inspire more individuals to take similar action. “Obviously, Schumacher has not felt comfortable to say it in the past,” he stated. It simply indicates that you can finally take the step and not be afraid in this day and age. It’s obviously nothing new.
“But there’s still a long way to go in the sport world. Declaring oneself inclusive is one thing; ensuring that individuals are at ease in the surroundings is quite another. To the best of my knowledge, he is among the first people to at least openly discuss the fact that this is a male-dominated field.
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“While our squad is quite inclusive, I do believe that more has to be done by the sport to improve people’s sense of comfort and welcome, especially for women who, as I understand, have not always received fair treatment. Thus, we must take further action.”
An F1 representative responded, saying: “Ralf’s announcement of this news is a very positive thing for the sport and for him. It demonstrates how inclusiveness and diversity have advanced significantly in F1, and he feels comfortable speaking out about his sexual orientation.
An F1 representative responded, saying: “Ralf’s announcement of this news is a very positive thing for the sport and for him. It demonstrates how inclusiveness and diversity have advanced significantly in F1, and he feels comfortable speaking out about his sexual orientation.
When asked how he would go about creating a more inclusive F1 paddock, Hamilton said, “I don’t have the answer. I am aware that the majority of the time, it is about having a communication with the important parties. It involves examining how information accessibility affects people who feel involved or misengaged in the community.”
Ralf and his partner Etienne have been “overwhelmed” by messages of support since the announcement, according to a representative for the Schumacher family. Subsequent to his original social media message, the six-time Formula One race winner expressed gratitude to everyone for their well-wishes and said he and his partner are “very happy”.
