Finland has been an unlikely looking source of Formula One talent for the last 30 years and Rosberg, who turns 67 today, was the first to make his mark on the sport.
Rosberg was a major force in the early 1980s, winning the 1982 World Drivers’ Championship at the wheel of a Williams.
His legacy in the sport continues into the present day, son Nico the current team-mate of Lewis Hamilton in the unstoppable Mercedes team. Keke had a late start in F1, debuting at the age of 29.
He steadily made his way up the grid from Theodore, ATS, Wolf and Fittipaldi until the retirement of Alan Jones left a plum seat open at Williams, his consistency taking him to victory in 1982.
After retirement in 1986, he went on to manage future Finnish world champion Mika Hakkinen and provided guidance for his son’s emergence into the sport in 2006.
1977: Andrew Flintoff, former England cricket captain and one of the finest all-rounders of the last 20 years (38).
1979: Tim Cahill, Australia and Shanghai Shenhua forward who gained stardom while playing for Everton (36).
1982: Alberto Contador, one of six cyclists who have won all three Grand Tours but career tainted by doping (33).
1992: Johnny Manziel, outstanding college footballer who plays quarterback for the NFL’s Cleveland Browns (23).
