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Kamui Kobayashi will be one of several new faces competing in the 2010 Formula One racing season. The young Japanese driver cut his racing in teeth in GP2 racing before making his Formula One debut for the now defunct Toyota team at the end of the 2009 racing season.
Nationality: Japanese
Date of Birth: 13/09/1986
Team: Sauber
World Championship Titles: 0
First Race: 2009 Brazilian Grand Prix
First Win: N/A
Car Number: TBA
2009 Championship Position: 18th
Like the majority of young race drivers, Kamui Kobayashi began his racing career as a child in kart racing. Kobayashi competed in kart racing throughout his childhood, and had claimed 4 championship titles by the time he was 16 years old.
In 2004 Kobayashi was head-hunted by Toyota for its driver’s academy, and soon took the step up to open-wheel racing in Formula Renault. The young Japanese had immediate success, claiming several race titles as well as the Italian and Japanese Championships.
The 2006 racing season saw Kobayashi move on to European Formula 3 racing, where he competed alongside Sebastien Vettel on his way to 8th place in the Driver’s Championship. Despite modest achievements in the Formula Three, Kobayashi soon found himself recruited as a test-driver for Toyota.
While testing for Toyota, Kobayashi’s results in Formula 3 began to improve and he finished his second season in the format in fourth place in the Drivers Championship. This success spurred Kobayashi on to GP2 racing, where he claimed his first race win in only his second race in the series.
Despite taking additional race wins, Kobayashi struggled to reach the podium consistently, and failed to break into the top 10 in GP2 in both his seasons competing in the format. An injury to Toyota’s Timo Glock towards the end of the 2009 season proved to be fortuitous for Kobayashi, as he was called on to replace Glock in the driver’s seat.
The young Japanese raced impressively during his two race stint as a Toyota driver, scoring his first points in only his second race as he finished second in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Following the withdrawal of Toyota from Formula One racing, Kobayashi’s F1 career appeared to be in jeopardy. However, towards the end of 2009 the Japanese was confirmed as one of the team drivers for the reformed Sauber F1 team.
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