Kamui Kobayashi
10
Kamui Kobayashi (Japanese小林 可 梦 伟, Kamui Kobayashi, * September 13, 1986 in Amagasaki ) is a Japanese racing driver.
It was 2009 champion of the GP2 Asia Series, and was the same year his debut in Formula 1 from 2010 to 2012 started Kobayashi for the Swiss team Sauber. After a season in the FIA World Endurance Championship ( WEC), 2013, Kobayashi returned in 2014 to Caterham in Formula 1 back.
- 3.1 Career stations
- 3.2 Statistics in Formula 1 3.2.1 Individual Results
Career
Beginnings in motorsport
In 1996, at the age of nine Kobayashi began karting. Until 2001 he collected in various Japanese Kart racing series experience. In 2001 he joined in the Esso Formula Toyota Racing School. In 2002 he raced in the European karting series, the Toyota school. In 2003, Kobayashi into formula racing and finished second in the Japanese Formula Toyota in second place in the overall standings.
Kobayashi was included in the program by Toyota in 2004, moved to Paris and spent two years in Formula Renault championships. 2004 was his main focus at the Italian Formula Renault, where he starting for the Prema Powerteam achieved seventh place overall. In addition, he participated in various races of Asian, German and Dutch Formula Renault. 2005 remained Kobayashi at Prema Powerteam and entered 2.0 Eurocup and Italian Formula Renault Formula Renault at. He won both titles. This had previously only managed one other driver. With six victories, he sat down in two series against Michael Ammer by Müller.
He then moved into the Formula 3 Euro Series ASM Formule 3, 2006, he finished in eighth place and he was named best newcomer. Internally, he lost to his three teammates Giedo van der Garde, Paul di Resta and Sebastian Vettel, of which di Resta won the league title, and Vettel was runner-up. As a reward for his results in the Formula 3 Euro Series, he completed three days of Formula 1 test driving for Toyota Racing. In 2007 he increased further and won his first race at Magny Cours. At season's end, he finished in fourth place with this victory. While within the team was Tom Dillmann behind him, he had to his two other teammates Romain Grosjean and Nico Hulkenberg, the positions one and three reached, admit defeat.
GP2 Series
On November 16, the Toyota Formula 1 team Kobayashi confirmed as official third driver for the 2008 season. Apart from its test driver job he started for the team DAMS in GP2 series. First, however, he raced in the inaugural season of the GP2 Asia Series for DAMS. He won two races: the Sprint race at Sepang and Sakhir. Both races were, as well as the race in which he won his first Formula 3 victory in 2007, held as part of the formula 1. In addition to his former teammate Grosjean Kobayashi was the only rider who chose more than one race in the GP2 Asia Series for itself. Yet in the overall standings he finished sixth.
Also in the 2008 GP2 Series season Jérôme D' Ambrosio was his teammate at DAMS. The season started promising. After he reached eighth place in the feature race in Istanbul, it was even more successful in the sprint race: it was started from the pole position soon overtaken by Grosjean. After a safety car phase Kobayashi accelerated during restart better and fought with Grosjean for the top spot. As Grosjean defended by unfair means in a duel with Kobayashi, he was fined and thus Kobayashi won in the second GP2 race for the first time. The other races went less successful for Kobayashi and he won only twice each additional point. With ten points Kobayashi reached # 16 overall.
In the 2008/2009 GP2 Asia Series season Kobayashi went again for DAMS at the start. With one win in Dubai and Sachir Kobayashi was his role as favorite, and secured an early lead in the overall standings. At the next race weekends Kobayashi defended his lead and won with 20 points ahead of his teammate D' Ambrosio the champion of the GP2 Asia Series. After Kobayashi was launched after winning the title with high expectations in the season of the GP2 Series, he failed to build on the strong performance from the Asia Series. Finishing third at the Nürburgring, he achieved his best result of the season. Kobayashi, who has also been also provided by his teammates in the shade, finished at the end of the 16th season overall, while D' Ambrosio placed ninth.
Formula 1 (2009-2012)
Toyota ( 2009)
In his role as reserve driver for the Toyota team, he took part in Friday practice of the Grand Prix of Japan 2009. He was represented at Timo Glock, who could not drive for health reasons. At the Grand Prix of Brazil, he played as a substitute for the still injured Glock his first Formula 1 race. Kobayashi was a good debut and held the eventual World Champion Jenson Button a few laps behind. In the end he finished ninth. Also in Abu Dhabi Kobayashi went in for the injured Glock at the start and took a sixth place first points in Formula 1
Sauber (2010-2012)
After Toyota withdrew from Formula 1, Sauber signed him on 17 December 2009 as the first driver of the Sauber team for the 2010 season. Kobayashi came not in the first four races to the finish. While technical problems were responsible for the first and third failure, he left at the second and fourth race after a collision. In the fifth race in Spain, he qualified for the first time in the season in the top ten pilots and also was first to the finish. At the Turkish Grand Prix he won his first point in tenth for Sauber. In the further course of the season, Kobayashi could gradually increase and score points regularly. At the European Grand Prix he finished in third place with a different strategy for a long time and was after a late pit stop and two overtaking in the final laps seventh. At the Grand Prix of Great Britain, he scored his best season placing sixth. For more He hit the headlines in his home race at Suzuka. He overtook several pilots in the hairpin curve and finished the race in seventh place. Against Pedro de la Rosa, who was initially his teammate to Kobayashi sat through much and was so ultimately a shared responsibility to clean in the second half of the season de la Rosa exchanged against Nick Heidfeld. Also Heidfeld did not manage to score more points than Kobayashi. At the end of the season Kobayashi was in twelfth place overall.
2011 remained Kobayashi at Sauber. His new team-mate Sergio Pérez was. At the season opener in Australia Kobayashi came in eighth place finish. After the race, both Sauber drivers were disqualified because their rear wings were illegal. In the second race in Malaysia, he reached the seventh and scored the first points. In the following three races he came in tenth, respectively. In Monaco, he scored his hitherto best Formula 1 placement with a fifth place. A race later in Canada Kobayashi was for a few laps on the second place and came at the end of seventh place finish. While Kobayashi drove seven times in the first ten races in the points, he succeeded in the last nine races only twice. In the World Cup he finished once the twelfth grade. With 30 to 14 points, he sat down internally against Pérez.
Kobayashi graduated in 2012 his third season for Sauber. At the first race, the Australian Grand Prix, he reached the finish in sixth place. At the Grand Prix of China Kobayashi had with the third place had hitherto been his best starting position. In the race, however, he has dropped back at the start and came in tenth place finish. He scored in the race for the first time the fastest race lap. In the European season in Spain he repeated with a fifth place his best finish so far in Formula 1 Five races later in Germany, he was able to surpass this result with a fourth place. At his home race, the Grand Prix of Japan Kobayashi scored with a third place his first podium in Formula 1 He finished the season from the twelfth position and defeated Pérez internally with 60 to 66 points. At the end of the season ended commitment Kobayashi at Sauber.
WEC (2013 )
After Kobayashi had received no Formula 1 contract for the 2013 season, he moved to the FIA World Endurance Championship ( WEC). There he received in 2013 a cockpit in the GTE Pro class at the Ferrari factory team AF Corse. Kobayashi finished the season with a second place in the GT class as the best result on the seventh place overall in the World Cup the GT driver. As part of the WEC Kobayashi also gave his debut at the 2013 24 - hour race at Le Mans.
Formula 1: Caterham (2014)
2014 Kobayashi returned back to Formula 1 and received a cockpit at Caterham. Kobayashi omitted in Caterham on a salary. In addition, Kobayashi collected before the season donations to finance his cockpit. This action came in together about a million euros. After the third race, he finished 19th overall.
Others
Kobayashi is a fan of the band Linkin Park. Designed for the Brazilian Grand Prix 2011 Band member Joe Hahn Kobayashi's helmet design. The helmet was auctioned after the race for a charity for $ 19,000.
With the introduction of permanent Formula 1 race numbers for 2014 season Kobayashi chose the # 10 With this number he gave in 2009 his debut in Formula 1
Statistics
Career stations
- 2006: Formula 3 Euro Series (8th place )
- 2007: Formula 3 Euro Series (4th place )
- 2007: Formula 1 ( test driver )
- 2008: GP2 Asia Series ( 6th place)
- 2008: GP2 Series (No. 16)
- 2008: Formula 1 ( test driver )
- 2009: GP2 Asia Series (Master)
- 2009: GP2 Series (No. 16)
- 2009: Formula 1 ( 18th place)
- 2010: Formula 1 ( 12th place)
- 2011: Formula 1 ( 12th place)
- 2012: Formula 1 ( 12th place)
- 2013: WEC, GT ( 7th place)
- 2014: Formula 1
Statistics in Formula 1
Status: Bahrain Grand Prix, April 6, 2014