Formula One Legend: Keke Rosberg “The Original Flying Finn”
Born on 6th December, 1948, in the Swedish capital of Stockholm, Keijo Erik Rosberg grew up to be nicknamed “Keke” to make matters less complicated for the press. Born to a veterinarian, his father, and a chemist, Keke’s mother, the young Finn settled on a future vocation pivoted on either dentistry or computer programming. Yet his parent’s passion for motor racing meant Keke was introduced to go-karts at a fairly young age. Palpably thrilled by the karting sensation, the rug rat took to the track with great gusto, and grew older to become a significantly proficient racer.
Although he still did not see motor racing as a career choice, but by 1973 Keke had been crowned the Scandinavian and European kart champion in addition to having won five Finnish titles. Keke then advanced to Formula Vee and Super Vee where he took 10 victories from 21 races during the 1975 season. Ever ready for an adventure, in 1985 Keke joined hands with American Fred Opert to clinch the fifth position at the year’s European Formula Two contest. At the conclusion of the same season, Keke’s silverware closet was also carrying the welcome burden of the Formula Pacific series title, as well as the runner up award from the year’s North American Formula Atlantic series race.
By now, Keke had predictably relinquished any intentions for a more conventional occupation and was resolutely set on a future in motor racing. However, the much needed finance to kick start the foray into Formula One was understandably hard to come by. Thus, Keke was compelled to inaugurate his Formula One career equipped with a miserably incompetent car, the unreliable and difficult-to-handle, Theodore, in 1978. The Finn’s stint at the prosperous Hong Kong entrepreneur’s squad was followed by spells at a series of woefully underperforming teams that included Fittipaldi and Wolf.
Keke was now 33 years of age and even though he had accumulated a respectable fortune, his Formula One dreams were not particularly thriving in like manner. The Finn’s career aspirations hit rock bottom when, in 1981, the Fittipaldi enterprise announced itself to be on the brink of bankruptcy. However, just when Keke’s career achievements seemed destined to sink into perpetual oblivion, a fateful opening at Williams emerged to salvage his career in time. In early 1982, Williams’s first-choice driver and the 1980 world champion, Alan John decided on a sudden exit from Formula One racing. His unscheduled exit created the very opening Keke had been craving, and being the only decently skilled driver around, he was immediately enlisted in Frank William’s squad.
Determined to make the most out of this glorious opening, the Finn put on a series of sensible performances to take the 1982 World Championship title. With the 1982 title race so widely open, Keke was lucky to have finished at the top of table. The following year, the advent of turbo-propelled cars meant Keke’s Williams machine was no longer one of the hottest properties whizzing around the Formula One circuits. Yet, the Finn resolved to make up for any deficiencies in his vehicle by driving ever more diligently. He remarked: “I was probably the fastest I’d ever be in my career. I just refused to accept that anybody could beat me...”
The Flying Finn got to display his true, raw speed in 1985 when Williams finally ungraded their cars with Honda engines. Keke’s remarkably astonishing run at the year’s British Grand Prix was to produce the all-time swiftest lap in the history of Formula One at an average speed of 160mph dash.
In 1986, Keke finally left Williams for McLaren before deciding to bid farewell to Formula One racing at the end of the year aged 38. The Finn subsequently took up the role of a flourishing driver manager, helping to launch the Formula One dreams of many would-be racers, including countryman and future World Champion, Mika Hakkinen. Keke’s son, Nico Rosberg currently propels the Mercedes GP Formula One machine.
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