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Rikuto Kobayashi

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Rikuto Kobayashi
NationalityJapan Japanese
Born (2005-07-01) 1 July 2005 (age 19)
Yamagata, Japan
Super GT - GT300 career
Debut season2024
Current teamapr
Car number30
Super Formula Lights career
Debut season2024
Current teamTOM'S
Car number38
Previous series
2022-2023F4 Japanese Championship
Championship titles
2023F4 Japanese Championship

Rikuto Kobayashi (小林利徠斗, Kobayashi Rikuto, born 1 July 2005) is a Japanese racing driver, esports player. Kobayashi is the driver who won the 2023 F4 Japanese Championship title.[1] He is also part of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Driver Challenge Program.[2]

Career

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Formula 4

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Kobayashi started his formula racing in 2022 at F4 Japanese Championship with TGR-DC Racing School as a part from he got TGR-DC RS Scholarship Driver[3] He ended up finish 6th in the standings. He continued to compete for the 2023 season, and he won the title ahead of Jin Nakamura and Yusuke Mitsui. On 30 May 2023, Toyota Gazoo Racing announced that Kobayashi took part in WEC Challenge Program training session for young drivers who are deemed to have a future in the Le Mans 24 Hours. He participated and experienced firsthand how WEC drivers and engineers take on the challenge of Le Mans.[4]

Super Formula Lights

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Kobayashi will step up to Super Formula Lights with TOM'S alongside Jin Nakamura too.[5]

Super GT

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Nakamura also will make his debut to compete in Super GT - GT300 with apr, as he will partner Hiroaki Nagai and Manabu Orido.[6]

In esports

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For 2021, Kobayashi raced in TOYOTA GAZOO Racing GT Cup where he claimed 3rd in the series.[7] He also competed in Gran Turismo World Series Showdown.[8] He's also part of the Virtual Drivers by TX3 eSport Team, on the Gran Turismo roster.[citation needed]

Racing record

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Career summary

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Season Series Team Races Wins Poles FLaps Podiums Points Position
2022 F4 Japanese Championship TGR-DC Racing School 14 1 2 1 2 120 6th
2023 F4 Japanese Championship TGR-DC Racing School 14 5 5 3 9 221 1st
2024 Super Formula Lights TOM'S 12 1 2 1 6 44 4th
Super GT - GT300 apr 4 0 0 0 0 0* NA*
Super Taikyu - ST-2 KTMS 1 1 1 1 1 22* 1st‡*
Macau Grand Prix TOM'S Formula N/A

‡ Team standings

Complete F4 Japanese Championship results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 DC Points
2022 TGR-DC Racing School FUJ1
1

8
FUJ1
2

5
SUZ1
1

15
SUZ1
2

8
FUJ2
1

7
FUJ2
2

5
SUZ2
1

4
SUZ2
2

5
SUG
1

3
SUG
2

7
AUT
1

5
AUT
2

DNS
MOT
1

1
MOT
2

6
6th 120
2023 TGR-DC Racing School FUJ1
1

1
FUJ1
2

3
SUZ1
1

2
SUZ1
2

4
FUJ2
1

1
FUJ2
2

1
SUZ2
1

33
SUZ2
2

5
SUG
1

6
SUG
2

22
AUT
1

1
AUT
2

3
MOT
1

2
MOT
2

1
1st 221

Complete Super Formula Lights results

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(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 Pos Points
2024 TOM'S AUT
1

2
AUT
2

8
AUT
3

3
SUG
1

7
SUG
2

3
SUG
3

5
FUJ
1

6
FUJ
2

1
FUJ
3

5
OKA
1

3
OKA
2

Ret
OKA
3

3
SUZ
1
SUZ
2
SUZ
3
MOT
1
MOT
2
MOT
3
4th* 44*

Complete Super GT results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 DC Points
2024 apr Toyota GR86 GT300 GT300 OKA
23
FUJ
22
SUZ
19
FUJ
18
SUZ
21
SUG
AUT
MOT
NC* 0*

Complete Macau Grand Prix results

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Year Team Car Qualifying Quali Race Main race
2024 Japan TOM'S Formula Tatuus F3 T-318 TBD TBD TBD

References

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  1. ^ "Kobayashi beats fellow Toyota junior Nakamura to Japanese F4 title". formulascout.com. 5 November 2023.
  2. ^ "TOYOTA GAZOO Racing announced its 2023 motorsport team setups". Toyota Gazoo Racing. 25 November 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  3. ^ "TOYOTA GAZOO Racing announced its 2022 motorsport team setups". Toyota Gazoo Racing. 6 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  4. ^ CORPORATION, TOYOTA MOTOR. "TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WEC Challenge Program: | RELEASE | WEC". TOYOTA GAZOO Racing. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  5. ^ "Honda confirms Iori Kimura's place on 2024 Super Formula grid". formulascout. 19 January 2024. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  6. ^ "Saitama Toyopet Gets New Lineup Amid Toyota Reshuffle". sportscar365.com. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  7. ^ "Straight Talk from e-Motorsports Top 3 Drivers 2020". Toyota Gazoo Racing.
  8. ^ "Rikuto Kobayashi: Gran Turismo's next Superstar?". .overtake.gg. 9 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
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