Sauber confirms Kobayashi for 2010

Dec.17 (GMM) Kamui Kobayashi has as expected signed to race Formula 1 with the Sauber team in 2010. The Hinwil based team said Japanese Kobayashi, 23, “drew attention to himself” at the end of 2009 with “two strong drives” for Toyota.

Recent reports have linked him with the sponsorship backing of the former long-time Toyota F1 sponsor Panasonic. “I am convinced he has a great deal of potential and will be able to make the most of it in our team,” said Peter Sauber.

Kamui Kobayashi was born September 13, 1986 in Amagasaki, Hyogo, Japan. He has competed in the GP2 Series and in FIA Formula One World Championship with the Toyota Formula One team and now the Sauber team for 2010.

Early career
Born of a sushi chef in the town of Amagasaki near Kobe, 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 race 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 Career
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.

Making headlines in Formula 1
On November 16, 2007 it was confirmed that Kobayashi would replace the departing Franck Montagny as the Toyota F1 team’s third driver. 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. 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.

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. 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 finished the race in tenth place, and was later promoted to ninth, with world champion Jenson Button referring to him as ‘absolutely crazy’. He also competed in the 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as Glock’s injury was not judged to have healed sufficiently. Kobayashi qualified 12th and finished sixth, scoring his first World Championship points, in the inaugural day-night race in Abu Dhabi. Before Toyota decided to withdraw from Formula One, Kobayashi was expected to be given a full-time seat at Toyota for the 2010 Formula One Season.