Kamui Kobayashi was an excellent Kart driver winning twice the Toyota SL All Japan Tournament Cadet class series.

In 2004 he won the Italian and European Formula Renault championships. In 2006 he finished eighth in the Formula Three Euro Series, and in 2007 fourth.

In 2008 and 2009 Kamui moved to GP2 racing, he did well in the Asian series, winning the title, but struggled to repeat his form in the main series finishing in a disappointing sixteenth place.

During the 2008 and 2009 seasons Kobayashi was employed as Toyota's test and reserve driver.

Kobayashi made his Formula 1 debut at the 2009 Brazilian GP, taking over from the injured Timo Glock. He qualified 11th and 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 GP, qualifying in 12th and finishing in sixth, scoring his first World Championship points.

At the end of 2009, Toyota withdraw from F1, and Kobayashi with just two grand prix drives was in a venerable position, however, he had impressed many in the grid. Peter Sauber offered him a contract for 2010 to drive alongside the experienced ex McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa.

In the first eight races of the season, Kobayashi was forced to retire in six. A combination of engine or chassis failures and involvement in accidents the cause, but the effect on paper would suggest he must have failed to make an impression. However, he demonstrated in qualifying a determination not always illustrated by drivers in the slower cars. He won his first points of the season at the Turkish GP finishing in tenth place. However, it was at the European GP in Valencia that he demonstrated his ability to grasp opportunity.  

Kamui had chosen not to pit for tyres until the very latest stage of the race, he was in third place when he came into the pits, emerging in ninth place he overtook both Fernando Alonso and Sebastien Buemi to finish in seventh place.

At the British GP, once again he was able to produce a remarkable performance to finish in sixth place.

In Germany, he finished just outside of the points in eleventh, but scored points at Hungary (9th) and Belgium, (8th), such encouraging results were followed by disappointments; a retirement in Italy due to gearbox failure and a crash in Singapore.

At Singapore, Sauber replaced Kobayashi's teammate, Pedro de la Rosa, with the more regarded Nick Heidfeld, nevertheless, in Japan Kobayashi finished in seventh place having overtaken several cars including Heidfeld. Kobayashi bested Heidfeld again in Korea, finishing in eight, and in Brazil finishing in tenth, at the final race of the season he finished outside of the points, but ended the season with 32 points in 12th place.

The highly respected former F1 commentator, Murray Walker, described Kobayashi as, 'without a doubt Japan's best [F1 driver] yet'.

Kobayashi will remain with Sauber in 2011, and will be partnered by Sergio Pérez.

F1 record

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