Fast forward to 2014 and the son of 1982 champion Keke arrives for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with a very real shot at his own world title.
He won't care a jot but should he prevail over Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton on Sunday he will inevitably go down in F1 history as the lucky 'double points' champion.
In any normal season, Hamilton, who holds a 17-point lead, would only need to take sixth to guarantee his second title, even if Rosberg won the season-closer.
Win or lose, no one can deny Rosberg hasn't played his part in a season which pushed his boyhood friendship with Hamilton almost to breaking point.
With his ice-cool exterior, Rosberg is the antithesis of the far more demonstrative Hamilton.
He has needed all his reserves of sang-froid to deal with a season dripping with drama, most of it served up by the Mercedes men.
