Born on 27 June 1985 in Wiesbaden to Finnish 1982 Formula One champion Keke Rosberg and his German wife, Nico was raised primarily in Monaco and educated at international schools in Nice and Monaco. He began competitive karting aged six and won regional and national French championships before competing at European level. After taking the 2002 Formula BMW ADAC Championship with nine victories from twenty races — a performance that briefly made him the youngest person ever to drive a Formula One car — Rosberg stepped up to the Formula 3 Euro Series for 2003.
Rosberg entered the Formula 3 Euro Series for 2003 with Team Rosberg, driving a Dallara F303-Opel. He won once at the Bugatti Circuit at Le Mans and accumulated five podium finishes, ending the season eighth in the Drivers' Championship with 45 points. He also finished as runner-up in the Rookie Cup behind Christian Klien. In November 2003, he contested the Macau Grand Prix and the Korea Super Prix with Carlin Motorsport, finishing eleventh in Korea, and received a Formula 3000 test at the Circuito de Jerez courtesy of Paolo Coloni. Williams also gave him two tests in a modified FW25A at the Circuit de Catalunya in late 2003 and early 2004.
For the 2004 Formula 3 Euro Series, Rosberg remained with Team Rosberg and prepared by winning two rounds of the Spanish Formula 3 Winter Series. He won the opening two races of the season at the Hockenheimring and added a further victory at the Nürburgring, along with three podium finishes. His campaign was disrupted by incidents and accidents, and he finished fourth in the Drivers' Championship with 70 points. He was sixth at the Masters of Formula 3 and later crashed from the lead of the Macau Grand Prix, finishing second at the Bahrain Superprix in December.
In the off-season, Rosberg was accepted into Imperial College London to study aeronautical engineering but chose to prioritise his racing career. This decision led directly to his move to the inaugural GP2 Series for 2005 with ART Grand Prix, where he won the title.
Rosberg's two years in the Formula 3 Euro Series were formative in establishing his racecraft and his working relationship with Williams, who were evaluating him as a future test driver throughout. His progression from eighth to fourth in the championship across the two seasons reflected steady development, and the wins and podiums he accumulated confirmed him as a credible prospect for the top level.
He made his Formula One debut with Williams in 2006 and went on to spend eleven seasons in the series, winning 23 Grands Prix and the 2016 World Drivers' Championship with Mercedes. He announced his retirement from motor racing just five days after clinching the title, citing a desire to spend more time with his family. Rosberg subsequently became an entrepreneur, investor, and television pundit, and was inducted into the FIA Hall of Fame in 2017.