Kamui Kobayashi Profile

Kamui Kobayashi has enjoyed a whirlwind ride since joining Panasonic Toyota Racing as third driver in 2008.

The 22-year-old rising Japanese star has been on a hectic world tour, encompassing not just his third driver duties at tests and races, but also the super-competitive GP2 Asia Series and GP2 Series.

He competed in over 30 races in 2008 and notched up his fair share of success, including wins in both GP2 Asia and GP2, in just his first season in Formula 1’s feeder category. Several blistering performances have shown he has the natural talent necessary to compete with the best and as third driver for Panasonic Toyota Racing he has been able to develop his technical skills too.

Kamui played an important role in the ongoing development of the TF108, extending his own knowledge of Formula 1 set-up and practices in the process. He says: “Being able to work with so many professionals is a real benefit to me. It inspires me to want to be professional in my own work too, so it’s a really good situation to work in.”

Kamui also benefits from being a member of the Toyota Young Drivers Programme, which is run by Toyota Motor Corporation. The TDP scheme gives full support to young drivers, not only on the track but also when it comes to personal fitness regimes and lifestyle advice.

For Kamui, over the past eight years the TDP scheme helped him achieve his dream of becoming a Formula 1 driver in 2008. “I’ve dreamed of being in Formula 1 ever since I was a small boy,” he says. “I passed the Toyota audition when I was 14, and have been committed to Toyota ever since. They have given me great support and encouragement since then. They help me with a lot of things, such as improving my English and helping me develop my driving and my feedback. They have been very good to me.”

Kamui moved to Europe for the 2004 season and now lives in Paris, where he soaks up the atmosphere of one of the world’s most cultural cities.

“There is an interesting atmosphere in Paris which I really like because of the big businessmen, the artists, the designers, all these important people who are there and give the city its character,” he says. “It is a fascinating city to spend time in.”

Kamui has progressed rapidly through the single-seater ranks in Europe and into Formula 1 after making a name for himself as a star of the future in Japanese junior racing.

With TDP support, Kamui moved to Europe in 2004 and spent two years in the Formula Renault Eurocup and Italian Formula Renault Championship, winning both crowns in 2005 - a title double only achieved previously by one other driver.

He says: “At the beginning of my career I was not thinking about Formula 1 - I just wanted to win each race. I never thought much about the future because it was far away from my situation at the time. Winning each race was my target but when I started racing single-seaters in Europe I started to dream of Formula 1. You have to work hard and be very determined to become a Formula 1 driver.”

From there he stepped up to Formula 3, the traditional breeding ground for future Formula 1 stars, and in 2006, after taking rookie of the year honours, Panasonic Toyota Racing offered him the chance to join its winter tests.

A promising second season in the Formula 3 Euro Series saw him mount the winners’ podium and guaranteed another step up, to GP2 and the third drivers’ role with Panasonic Toyota Racing, where his increasing maturity and raw speed have marked him out as a driver to watch in the near future.