Ex-wife of F1 Driver Ralf Schumacher Says She 'Felt Used' Upon Learning He Came Out on Social Media

What looked like a picture-perfect coming out by former race car driver Ralf Schumacher turned a bit ugly this week when his ex-wife, Cora Schumacher, claimed she "felt used" and "wasted the best years of her life" during their 14-year-long marriage, according to a report in the Daily Mail.

Last month the former F1 star came out as gay on social media and revealed he was in a relationship with his French business manager, Etienne, in a post that "was met with a torrent of congratulations and well-wishes from fans and members of the motorsport community," according to an earlier Daily Mail report. Even David, his 20-year old son from his marriage with Cora Schumacher, spoke warmly of his dad's coming out and new relationship. "I am very happy that you have finally found someone with whom you really feel that you feel very comfortable and secure, no matter if you are a man or a woman," he wrote his dad. "I am 100 per cent behind you dad and wish you all the best and congratulations."

Silent at the time was Cora, a former Playboy model and ex-GQ cover star who became the highest paid female race car driver in the world during her marriage to Ralf. But this past weekend she did an interview with the German news outlet Der Spiegel that took a decidedly different tone. (Note: Story is behind a firewall.)

In it, she claimed she didn't know he was gay until she learned about it on social media. "How should I deal with the fact that Ralf didn't talk to me before he came out and said, for example: 'Be careful, Cora. I'm sorry' or 'I didn't know how to tell you' or 'I really loved you'. Nothing," she said as reported by the British tabloid The Mirror.

"That was such a stab in the heart for me. Because a coming out always affects those around you, including the ex-wife with whom you have a child. And yes, I wish Ralf had included me or at least told me about it. I would have seen that as a sign of respect. Instead, I found out about his coming out from the media. I feel used. Robbed of my best years. Was he honest with me? And most importantly: did he even love me?"

But Ralf dismissed her hurt feelings and called her a "liar" in a post that contained "a screenshot of a WhatsApp conversation which appears to show that Cora was aware he was gay. The exchange from late 2023 seemingly shows Cora congratulating Etienne on his relationship with Ralf," the Sun report continued.

He posted the image on his Instagram account with the caption: "With all the back and forth, I would like to make it clear that Cora congratulated us in September 2023 because she thought we had gotten married. I think it's a shame for Etienne and me that she spreads so many lies. We both just want to be left in peace."

In turn, Cora responded by calling her ex-husband "pathetic" in an Instagram post. In her own post, she wrote: "How pathetic does a person have to be to publish private WhatsApp messages to conceal the truth?" Cora also said he'd only introduced Etienne only as a business associate, not as his boyfriend, adding: "The WhatsApp was my last attempt to at least find out the truth from him."

She had earlier posted an IG in which she included quotes from her Der Spiegel article, which were translated into English by Google. "I feel compelled to correct my public image," says Cora Schumacher. "Just as Mr. Schumacher has the right to come out. Did he also think for a moment about the consequences for me."

She added: "I wish Ralf had involved me or at least made me a part of his decision, it would have been a sign of respect. During his career in F1, there were many rumours in the paddock . I asked him to clarify if what was being said was true, but he always denied it, telling me that I was imagining everything and that maybe I needed psychological help."

According to the Daily Mail, "Cora, 47, tied the knot with Schumacher in 2001 and was with him for 14 years. The pair were still believed to be close as he congratulated her on joining the cast of the German version of 'I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!' in January. She is a German actress, model, former racing driver and television presenter and is also on the adult platform Only Fans.

"In October 2003, she featured on the cover of the German edition of GQ before turning her attention to racing. Influenced by her husband, she made her racing debut in 2004 as part of the celebrity team in the Mini Challenge in Germany, qualifying 22nd out of 24 for her first race. From there she went on to more competitive racing and enjoyed 14 years of it until she hung up her wheel in 2018."