Keke ROSBERG Biography & Stats

Nationality:  Finland Born the 6 december 1948 – Stockholm (Suède) – 74 years

First Grand Prix: South Africa 1978
Last Grand Prix: Australia 1986

Best Result: 1st
Best Grid Position: 1st

Keke ROSBERG Biography

Keijo Erik Rosberg, also known as “Keke,” was born in Solna, Sweden, on December 6, 1948. His parents were both from Hamina, Finland, and his father, Lars Rosberg, was a student of veterinary science at the time. Keke was raised in a number of locations, including Lapinjärvi, Hamina, Oulu, and Iisalmi, after the family returned to Finland in 1950.

After competing in several other series, including Formula Vee, Formula Super Vee, Can-Am, Formula Atlantic, Formula Pacific, and Formula Two, Keke Rosberg made his Formula One debut at the age of 29. In just his second race with the Theodore team, he stunned the Formula One paddock by winning the non-championship BRDC International Trophy at Silverstone.

During his racing career, Rosberg competed for a number of teams, including Theodore, ATS, Wolf, and Fittipaldi. He managed to score his first point-scoring results in the 1980 season despite racing for uncompetitive teams, including a sensational podium finish at the season-opening race in Buenos Aires. However, because the cars were so uncompetitive, he frequently didn’t complete or qualify for races.

Rosberg joined the Williams squad in 1982, which was a pivotal moment in his professional development. He achieved incredible consistency and won the Drivers’ Championship that year while running an obsolete Ford DFY V8 engine. Particularly noteworthy was his triumph in the Swiss Grand Prix at Dijon-Prenois. Rosberg became the first champion and the first driver from Finland to regularly race in Formula One.

Williams’ subpar chassis and the potent but problematic Honda turbo engine defined Rosberg’s post-championship years. He failed to achieve excellent results in 1983 and 1984, with the Dallas Grand Prix serving as the year’s lone victory. Nevertheless, Rosberg chose to leave Formula One and join McLaren for his last season after the Williams team won the 1986 season.

Rosberg’s switch to McLaren did not, regrettably, have the desired impact. He was soundly defeated by his teammate, 1985 World Champion Alain Prost, since the team’s vehicle was underpowered in comparison to its competitors. After the season, Rosberg announced his retirement because he believed he had left Formula One too soon.

After quitting racing, Rosberg returned in the 1989 Spa 24 Hours and later competed for Peugeot’s sportscar team. Later, he drove for Mercedes-Benz and Opel in the German Touring Car Championship (DTM). In 1995, he finally founded his own squad, squad Rosberg, and concentrated on managing it.

Along with his racing career, Rosberg also worked as a manager for a number of Finnish drivers, notably Mika Häkkinen and JJ Lehto, a future world champion. In addition, he oversaw the career of his son Nico Rosberg, who debuted in Formula One in 2006 and won the World Championship in 2016 to become the second father-son pair to win the Formula One World Championship.

Rosberg was recognized for his unusual helmet style during his career. It had a white foundation with a blue circle on top, a blue stripe separated into rectangles and trapezoids, and a blue circle on the bottom. His son Nico began with a comparable style before switching to a new one in 2014.

Keke Rosberg, the first Finnish driver to race frequently in the competition and the first Finnish champion, had a tremendous impact on Formula One. His perseverance and talent enabled him to overcome the difficulties of competing for weak teams, and his triumph in the 1982 Drivers’ Championship cemented his legacy in the world of motorsport.

Keke ROSBERG Stats

Wins

Keke ROSBERG had 5 wins in his career

Podiums

Keke ROSBERG had 17 podiums in his career

Pole positions

Keke ROSBERG had 5 pole positions in his F1 career

Grands Prix started

Keke ROSBERG has started 114 Grands Prix in his career

Teammates

Keke ROSBERG had 10 teammates in his career

Result by Grand Prix

Seasons

Keke ROSBERG has raced 9 seasons in his career

Retirement / DNF / Abandon

Keke ROSBERG had 57 retirements in his career