List of F1 drivers from the LGBTQ community

This year Formula 1 turns 75 years old. In their long and proud history, they have spoken for many global movements like women's rights, inclusivity, diversity, communal welfare, Black Lives and many more. They also voiced for the global LGBTQ+ community and some drivers like Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton have raised their voices for the Pride. 

Recently, former F1 race winner and 7-time world champion Michael Schumacher’s brother Ralf Schumacher announced that he is part of the LGBTQ+ community. The LGBTQ+ community in Formula 1 is not new; some drivers in the past were part of that group. 

Here are the F1 drivers from the LGBTQ community

Mike Beuttler

The first ever Formula 1 driver who was part of the Rainbow Pride was Mike Beuttler. The British Formula 1 legend competed in Formula 1 from 1971 and 1973. He is a very aggressive, rough and fierce driver, and many later drivers were hugely influenced by his racing talent.

He was the first driver to open up about his gay relationship. In an interview, Beuttler said, “I knew he was gay, but it didn’t matter in my world. He was a nice guy. He was part of what we were doing. It really didn’t matter at all. 

In the early 70s, it just wasn't a thing that was really openly discussed and certainly, motor racing was very macho and it was probably a bit like how football is now. There are a lot of closest gays in there not allowed to say so." He means there were even more F1 drivers from the 1970s who were bisexual. Tragically, Beuttler passed away due to AIDS in 1988.

Mario de Araujo Cabral

‘Nicha’ Cabral was an F1 racer from Portugal who raced in F1 for five years from 1959 to 1964. He retired in 1975 and during that time there were no LGBTQ+ movements to support him. So he kept it as a secret and only in 2009 did he reveal that he had been gay all these years. In 2020, he passed away at the age of 86.

Lella Lombardi

The Italian F1 racer was the most successful female F1 driver. Maria Grazia ‘Lella’ Lombardi competed between the 1974 and 1976 seasons in 17 grand prix. She is also the only woman to score points in Formula 1 history. She was a lesbian all her years and was living with her partner Fiorenza. She retired in 1988 after she was affected by breast cancer and in 1992 she passed away due to cancer complications. Lella remains as a female icon in Formula 1.

Ralf Schumacher

F1 legend Michael Schumacher’s brother and former F1 race winner recently announced that he is in a gay relationship. He was married to a model named Cora-Caroline Brinkman and has a son named David. But the relationship didn't go well and became toxic over the years. 

After that, he divorced her and announced that he had found love with a male friend, Etienne. Many F1 drivers, like Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton, backed Ralf for his bold move. Even Ralf’s son David said he is 100% behind his father. 

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