Ralf Schumacher is believed to have paid up to £250,000 to stop nude pictures of his fiancée being published.
He acted after pictures of Cora Brinkmann appeared in a book called Erotic Acts in Germany. The Formula One Williams driver bought the copyright to 360 pictures to stop them appearing in newspapers and magazines.
He told friends he couldn't bear the thought of other men ogling the pictures.
Schumacher said: "The photos are very beautiful but now Cora belongs only to me."
The exact amount he has paid has not been revealed but observers say they were worth up to quarter of a million pounds.