Kamui Kobayashi
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Kamui Kobayashi (full Kanji: 小林可夢偉) (born September 13, 1986 in Amagasaki, Hyogo) is a Japanese driver currently competing in the GP2 Series championship. Kobayashi is also a test driver for the Toyota Formula One team.
Racing career
Early career
Kamui Kobayashi began his career in motorsport in 1996 when he was nine years old - the Japanese driver finished third in his first season of karting in the SL Takarazuka Tournament Cadet Class. The following seven years, Kobayashi took four karting titles, winning the Toyota SL All Japan Tournament Cadet Class series twice.
In 2004, the Japanese driver signed up for Toyota's Driver Academy and soon began his career in open wheel racing. Kobayashi's next step was Formula Renault, entering the Asian, German, Italian and Dutch championships. The Japanese driver took two races victories in the Italian championship. Kobayashi continued his campaign in the Formula Renault class, entering the Italian and European championships and with six wins in both championships, the Japanese won both titles.
In 2006, Kobayashi entered the Formula Three Euroseries with ASM Formule 3 alongside Paul di Resta, Giedo van der Garde and Sebastian Vettel. He took three podium positions in his debut season, coming eighth in the Drivers' Championship and first in the Rookie's Championship. Kobayashi also entered the Macau Grand Prix and the Masters of Formula 3, both of which are annual Formula Three events. Kobayashi started the latter in 10th place and finished the race a place lower in 11th while at the Macau Grand Prix, the Japanese started the race in pole position, however he finished the race in 19th place.
At the beginning of 2007, Kobayashi, along with Kohei Hirate, was named as one of the Toyota Formula One team's test drivers. The Japanese stayed in the F3 Euroseries for the upcoming season and had an impressive start to the season, taking two podiums in the first four rounds, and at the tenth round in Magny-Cours for the Formula One French Grand Prix Formula Three support race Kobayashi took his first race victory in Formula Three. Kobayashi finished fourth in the Drivers' Championship.
GP2
Following a successful GP2 Asia Series campaign in early 2008, Kobayashi won his first GP2 Series race in only the second race of the season. After a strong start from pole in the sprint race at the Circuit de Catalunya, Kamui took the chequered flag in first place. This was after a controversial piece of defensive driving from the Japanese driver's former F3 Euroseries team-mate Romain Grosjean after a safety car period. At the end of the pit straight, Kamui attempted a pass on Grosjean. However, the Frenchman moved more than once to defend his position, forcing Kobayashi into evasive action. This resulted in a drive through penalty for the Frenchman, handing the win to Kobayashi. However, he only finished in the points on one further occasion, restricting him to sixteenth in the championship.
Another successful GP2 Asia campaign followed over the winter months of 2008 and 2009, with Kobayashi winning two races en route to the championship, with a round to spare. Kobayashi could not repeat his form in the main series, finishing sixteenth again.
Formula One
On November 16, 2007 it was confirmed that Kobayashi would replace the departing Franck Montagny as the Toyota F1 team's third driver.[1] He has been employed as the team's test and reserve driver during the 2008 and 2009 seasons.
At the 2009 Japanese Grand Prix, Kobayashi competed in the first two free practice sessions in place of Timo Glock, who was unwell.[2] Glock recovered in time to take part in the third free practice session and qualifying, but was injured after crashing in the latter session and had to miss the race. Toyota asked the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) for permission to run Kobayashi in the race, but this was refused as the regulations state that a driver must run in at least one session on Saturday in order to be eligible to start the race.[3]
Kobayashi did, however, make his Formula One debut at the 2009 Brazilian Grand Prix, following a complication to Glock's injury that was initially not detected.[4] He qualified 11th in a chaotic qualifying session that lasted for over two and half hours and was red-flagged twice due to accidents caused by torrential rain. He later finished the race in respectable 9th place, with world champion Jenson Button referring to him as 'absolutely crazy'. He is also tipped to remain in the car for the 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which will be the final race of the 2009 season. [5]
Statistics
Motor racing record
Season | Series | Team Name | Races | Poles | Wins | Points | Final Placing |
2003 | Formula Toyota | ? | 10 | 4 | 2 | 120 | 2nd |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2004 | German Formula Renault | Prema Powerteam | 2 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 31st |
Italian Formula Renault | Prema Powerteam | 17 | 3 | 2 | 134 | 7th | |
2005 | Italian Formula Renault | Prema Powerteam | 15 | 4 | 6 | 312 | 1st |
Formula Renault Eurocup | Prema Powerteam | 16 | 4 | 6 | 157 | 1st | |
2006 | Formula Three Euroseries | ASM Formule 3 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 8th |
2007 | Formula Three Euroseries | ASM Formule 3 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 59 | 4th |
2008 | GP2 Asia Series | DAMS | 10 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 6th |
GP2 Series | 20 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 16th | ||
Formula One | Toyota | Test driver | |||||
2008-09 | GP2 Asia Series | DAMS | 11 | 2 | 2 | 56 | 1st |
2009 | GP2 Series | DAMS | 20 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 16th |
Formula One | Toyota | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20th |
Complete GP2 Series results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | DC | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2008 | DAMS | ESP FEA 8 |
ESP SPR 1 |
TUR FEA Ret |
TUR SPR 9 |
MON FEA Ret |
MON SPR 18 |
FRA FEA Ret |
FRA SPR 9 |
GBR FEA Ret |
GBR SPR 7 |
GER FEA Ret |
GER SPR 18 |
HUN FEA 11 |
HUN SPR 8 |
EUR FEA Ret |
EUR SPR 6 |
BEL FEA 9 |
BEL SPR 14 |
ITA FEA Ret |
ITA SPR 13 |
16th | 10 |
2009 | DAMS | ESP FEA 8 |
ESP SPR 5 |
MON FEA Ret |
MON SPR 12 |
TUR FEA Ret |
TUR SPR NC |
GBR FEA Ret |
GBR SPR 17 |
GER FEA 9 |
GER SPR 3 |
HUN FEA 13 |
HUN SPR 8 |
VAL FEA 8 |
VAL SPR 11 |
BEL FEA 7 |
BEL SPR 11 |
ITA FEA 17 |
ITA SPR 17 |
ALG FEA 6 |
ALG SPR 19 |
16th | 13 |
Complete GP2 Asia Series results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | DC | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2008 | DAMS | UAE FEA 13 |
UAE SPR Ret |
IND FEA Ret |
IND SPR 15 |
MAL FEA 5 |
MAL SPR 1 |
BHR FEA 3 |
BHR SPR 1 |
UAE FEA 20 |
UAE SPR 14 |
6th | 22 | ||
2008-09 | DAMS | CHN FEA 2 |
CHN SPR Ret |
UAE FEA 1 |
UAE SPR C |
BHR FEA 1 |
BHR SPR 6 |
QAT FEA 4 |
QAT SPR 18 |
MAL FEA 2 |
MAL SPR 7 |
BHR FEA 4 |
BHR SPR 5 |
1st | 56 |
Complete Formula One results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | WDC | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2009 | Panasonic Toyota Racing | Toyota TF109 | Toyota RVX-09 2.4 V8 | AUS | MAL | CHN | BHR | ESP | MON | TUR | GBR | GER | HUN | EUR | BEL | ITA | SIN | JPN PO |
BRA 9 |
ABU | 20th* | 0* |
* Season in progress.
References
- ^ "Toyota confirm Kobayashi as third driver". autosport.com. 2007-11-16. Retrieved 2007-11-16.
- ^ Strang, Simon (2009-10-02). "Kobayashi subs for Glock in practice". autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
- ^ Strang, Simon (2009-10-04). "Injured Glock out of Japanese GP". autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 2009-10-15.
- ^ "Timo Glock to miss Brazilian Grand Prix". Toyota F1 official website. 2009-10-11. Retrieved 2009-10-11.
- ^ "Sao Paulo results". BBC Sport website. BBC. 2009-10-18. Retrieved 2009-10-18.
External links
- 1986 births
- Living people
- Japanese Formula One drivers
- GP2 Series drivers
- GP2 Series Champions
- Formula Three Euroseries drivers
- German Formula Renault 2.0 drivers
- Dutch Formula Renault 2.0 drivers
- Asian Formula Renault Challenge drivers
- Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 drivers
- Italian Formula Renault 2.0 drivers
- People from Amagasaki, Hyōgo