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 If the Mercedes driver were to win the Formula One title in Abu
Dhabi on Sunday, the first German to do so in a German car would be
the least German champion of them all if no less deserving.
Sophisticated and multi-lingual, as much at ease conversing in
Italian, French or Spanish as English, the 29-year-old describes
himself as 'international German'.
What the blond son of 1982 champion Keke has in common with Michael
Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel, whose German roots go far deeper,
is that attention to detail and constant quest for improvement.
Rosberg noticed, for example, that he sometimes fell sick at race
weekends after long-haul commercial flights. So now he wears a face
mask when flying to ward off viruses and has changed to a
gluten-free diet.
 The German has needed all his intelligence and every advantage to
match British team mate Lewis Hamilton, the former friend and foe
from karting days who is now a Monaco neighbor.
A team player, Rosberg has also shown this season that he has a
ruthlessness that belies his easy charm and privileged upbringing.
To be champion he needs to overhaul Hamilton's 17 point advantage,
an achievable target thanks to the unprecedented double points on
offer.
Both have pushed each other all the way, with Rosberg taking 10 pole
positions but Hamilton racking up 10 wins to the German's five in a
record-breaking run of 11 one-twos.
SMART WAY
"Nico is good on marketing and very friendly. Always on time. That
pushes Lewis also to be very good with the sponsors and team guys,"
said one close acquaintance.
"Everything is competition. Every single thing. Also on the track.
When Lewis has pure speed, Nico always needs to find a smart way.
"His approach is sitting down with the guys and saying 'How can we
improve?' That’s Nico Rosberg. The engineering driver."
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Consistent on the racetrack, with 10 second places this season,
continuity is important off it for a man whose parents have been
married for 37 years.
He had been with girlfriend Vivian for a decade before they tied the
knot this year, and race engineer Tony Ross has accompanied him from
a debut season at Williams in 2006 through to Mercedes.
Where Hamilton likes to have father Anthony and family around, and
loves fast cars and chunky jewelry, Rosberg is a polar opposite to
the kid who grew up on a rough Stevenage council estate.
Keke still goes to pre-season testing, enjoying the occasional day
on the golf course with friends, but rarely attends races. His son
needs no help and no distractions.
Nico, who turned down the offer of a university place to study
engineering, loves old cars and has been known to turn up hours
early for photoshoots in the Mercedes museum in Stuttgart to admire
the exhibits.
He recently purchased a 1970s 280SL Mercedes convertible.
"He likes new cars but driving in a classic car with Vivian and
enjoying the scenery gives him much more pleasure than driving a
modern car very fast," confided one who knows. Racetrack excluded,
of course.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Ken Ferris)
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