Valtteri Bottas became Formula 1's 107th different winner of the world championship on Sunday, and the fifth citizen from Finland to conquer such an honour.

Only eight Finns have ever raced at the pinnacle of motorsport, but with 47 Grand Prix wins, Finland is the fifth most successful nation in the history of F1 behind Great-Britain, Germany, Brazil and France.

F1i takes a look at the first time Finland's flying racers cracked the nut.

 

 

Keke Rosberg - Dijon 1982

 

The father of 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg won the Swiss Grand Prix at Dijon in 1982 after 49 races in Formula 1.

In a year of tragedy and disaster, marked by the death of Gilles Villeneuve and Didier Pironi's career-ending accident at Hockenheim, Williams' Keke Rosberg - the original flying Finn - won just once in 1982

But with Pironi out of contention his consistency was enough to hand him the world title at the end of the year in Las Vegas, edging out the unfortunate Frenchman by just 5 points.

Page: 1 2 3 4 5

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

Recent Posts

Perez admits he ‘had doubts’ about returning to F1 with Cadillac

For much of 2025, the paddock conversation around Sergio Perez was surprisingly straightforward: a driver…

14 hours ago

Briatore questions Alpine’s results: ‘Why are we not winning?’

Flavio Briatore is not a man accustomed to standing on the sidelines of victory, nor…

16 hours ago

Richie Ginther: A man on the brink of F1 greatness

Richie Ginther was born on this day in 1930. A glance at the American F1…

17 hours ago

The Max effect: Verstappen Racing scores first Pro-Class GT win

  Victory at last! After enduring a frustrating season plagued by mechanical failures and unavoidable…

18 hours ago

Hakkinen warns McLaren on Verstappen move: ‘Why rock the boat?’

Mika Hakkinen has urged McLaren to resist the temptation of making a blockbuster move for…

19 hours ago

Veteran Aston Martin engineer Tim McCullough to exit team after 2026

Long-serving Aston Martin engineer Tim McCullough is reportedly set to leave the team at the…

20 hours ago