Kamui Kobayashi

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Born
1986 (39 years old)
Shiny National flag

Amagasaki, Japan

Position
Driver

Status
Active

Ethnicity
Asian

Team Number
7

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Wage Year

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Sport

Motorsport

Team
Toyota Gazoo Racing WEC

League
WEC

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Description

Kamui Kobayashi (Kobayashi Kamui, born 13 September 1986) is a Japanese professional racing driver who currently competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Toyota Gazoo Racing, and in the Super Formula Championship for KCMG. He also previously competed in Formula One, Formula E, the GP2 Series, and the GP2 Asia Series (which he won).

Early career
Kobayashi was born in Amagasaki, near Kobe. His father owns a sushi restaurant. He began his career in motorsport in 1996 when he was nine years old, finishing third in his first season of karting in the SL Takarazuka Tournament Cadet Class. During the following seven years, Kobayashi took four karting titles, winning the Toyota SL All Japan Tournament Cadet Class series twice.

In 2004, he signed for Toyota's Driver Academy and soon began his career in open wheel racing. His next step was Formula Renault, entering the Asian, German, Italian and Dutch championships and taking two race victories in the Italian championship. Kobayashi continued in the Formula Renault class, entering the Italian and European championships and with six wins in both championships, he won both titles.

In 2006, Kobayashi entered the Formula 3 Euro Series 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, which are annual Formula Three events. Kobayashi started in 10th place and finished the race a place lower in 11th, while at the Macau Grand Prix, he started the race in pole position but finished in 19th place.

At the beginning of 2007, Kobayashi, with Kohei Hirate, was named as one of the Toyota Formula One team's test drivers. He stayed in the Euro Series for the upcoming season and had an impressive start, 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. He finished fourth in the Drivers' Championship.

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