The Professor at the Sand dunes, 1985.
Keke’s gear. The sand dunes of Zandvoort, 1985 Dutch Grand Prix.
Keke Rosberg is another driver who I think is unfairly forgotten. Laying the ground work for future Finns in the sport, he personally opened up doors for drivers JJ Lehto and Mika Hakkinen as their manager, not to mention his son and current Mercedes driver Nico.
Further more, he was tenacious and ruddy quick. His qualifying lap around Silverstone in 1985 was the highest average speed a Formula One car had ever achieved around a circuit, and remained until Juan Montoya bettered it in 2002 (before bettering it once more in 2004, both at Monza). It was a symbolic achievement, as it really put a jewell in his crown as the most aggressive (in the sense of attacking the track and fighting his own car) of the turbo era, a crown he perhaps inherited during title winning season. The crown would eventually be passed on to the fiery Brit nicknamed “il leone” due to his own tenacity, but more on him later.
