'Super' Kobayashi thrilled TV-watching Kubica

Kamui Kobayashi was the hero of Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix, enhancing his growing reputation as the launcher of kamikaze overtaking moves.

To the delight of his Japanese fans, the Sauber rookie scythed through the field from fourteenth on the grid to seventh at the finish.

"The way he overtook several competitors was absolutely spectacular," said team CEO Monisha Kaltenborn, standing in as team boss in Japan for the absent Peter Sauber.

The 24-year-old launched audacious moves on Adrian Sutil, Rubens Barrichello and Jaime Alguersuari, but teammate Nick Heidfeld was dispensed rather more easily.

"The team asked me not to make any problems for him," the German is quoted by Swiss newspaper Blick.

The paper's veteran correspondent Roger Benoit asked Kobayashi precisely how many overtaking moves he attempted at Suzuka on Sunday.

"I can't remember," he answered. "I only know that there were crashes all around me at the start, and later I made some contacts with my opponents.

"My car is rather damaged!" he revealed.

Team manager Beat Zehnder explained: "Some deflectors are missing from the car, and the sidepod has a big hole in it. Also a part of the front wing isn't there any more."

Renault's Robert Kubica retired from the race after five minutes with a missing wheel.

Said the Pole: "What Kamui did with his car was super. Because I had to watch on television, he saved my day."

Source: Motorsport

The Secret Life of Kamui Kobayashi

BMW Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi will be the subject of intense media scrutiny at his home Grand Prix this weekend. But before he gets hit with a barrage of predictable pre-race questions, we thought we’d get in there with a few less predictable ones. Want an F1 driver who can cook anything, except maybe carrots? Or one who fears the world might end in two years’ time? Or one with as many tattoos as wheels on his car? Then Kobayashi is your man…

Q: Are you a plan-B kind of guy?
Kamui Kobayashi: Not really. Once I find the right plan for me I follow that plan.

Q: Driving an F1 car aside, what is your favourite buzz?
KK: Holidays. I am always waiting for holidays!

Q: Whom do you most look forward to seeing when you arrive in the paddock on a Thursday?
KK: The car - I’m always waiting for an update. And I have a look around what others have brought.

Q: Who is your dream date?
KK: There is nobody really. Probably it would be me, on holiday, without phone and internet…

Q: Which film has made you cry?
KK: The Shawshank Redemption, the prison film with Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. For years it’s been considered the best film ever made. I’m sure I saw it five times.

Q: What are you afraid of - and why?
KK: 2012. According to the Maya calendar something dramatic will happen on our planet.

Q: What was the last book you read?
KK: I don’t like reading books.

Q: What is your favourite way to relax?
KK: Going to the beach.

Q: Name five things that you hate?
KK: Carrots, cold, dirt.

Q: Have you ever - or would you ever - dye your hair?
KK: Yes, I always do it. We Japanese have too black hair so dying your hair lighter is a kind of people’s sport in Japan.

Q: What was the first CD that you bought?
KK: Japanese music, but I cannot remember the name.

Q: Do you have any tattoos or piercings?
KK: I have four tattoos. They don’t have a deeper meaning - I just liked the design. I am always curious about things, always have to try new things.

Q: What did teachers say about you in your school report?
KK: He is a very sporty pupil, but he’s not so much into studying.

Q: Who were your childhood heroes?
KK: I never had a hero.

Q: Do you have any guilty pleasures?
KK: I don’t have any I guess. Shopping was probably one in the past, but now I refrain from that habit…

Q: What do you miss most about home when you are on the road?
KK: My bathroom.

Q: What was your worst buy?
KK: I cannot tolerate alcohol, but many times I order five or six bottles of champagne in a restaurant. And I used to buy a lot of clothes.

Q: How do you take your coffee?
KK: I’ve stopped drinking coffee.

Q: Your ideal non-race Sunday morning?
KK: If it is sunny, I try to get some sun - I need the sun to feel well. Probably go for a picnic.

Q: What was the first car or machine that you drove?
KK: A Toyota when I was 18 years-old. I bought it even before I had my driving license.

Q: What was the most embarrassing mistake that you’ve made?
KK: This year in Canada on my first lap. I don’t want to remember that. (Kobayashi crashed out).

Q: What is the best thing you can cook?
KK: Everything. You name it and I am sure I can cook it - even without any experience. We have the internet and the internet shows you anything. I have cooked in the motorhome for a number of people.

Q: When was the last time you were really furious?
KK: After the race in Hungary I arrived at the airport at 11pm and I saw my flight had been cancelled. I was on my way to Tokyo and that made me almost go berserk.

Source: Formula1.com

Kobayashi confirmed at Sauber for 2011

Kamui Kobayashi will hold onto his Sauber race seat in 2011 after extending his contract with the team.

Kobayashi made his F1 debut at the end of 2009 with Toyota before being snapped up by Sauber ahead of the 2010 season.

"We enjoy having our rookie as part of the team, both as a driver and a person," team principal Peter Sauber said. "We never had any doubts about working with him again in 2011.

"Kamui has definitely fulfilled our expectations in terms of his speed and fighting spirit. Plus, his work with the engineers and his technical understanding has also developed very well. The experience he has built up over his first full season in Formula One will certainly stand him in good stead for 2011. And our aim is to give him a fast and reliable car from the outset next season."

After retiring from six of the first eight races this year, Kobayashi has gone on to score 21 points, 15 more than more experienced team-mate Pedro de la Rosa.

"We had a very difficult start to the season, but we've worked together to pull ourselves out of that situation," Kobayashi said. "I feel very much at home in Peter Sauber's team and am very pleased we'll be working together again in 2011. However, for now I'm focusing 100% on this year. There are still six grand prix weekends to go in 2010, and we'll be hoping to make up more ground."

The statement added that the second driver for 2011 would be announced at a later date with de la Rosa reportedly in talks to retain his seat.

Source: ESPNF1

Jerez: Buemi and Button set a blistering pace

Sebastien Buemi dominated Thursday morning's running at Jerez, easily outpacing his closest rival, McLaren's Jenson Button, by more than a half a second at the top of the timesheets.

After the initial installation laps came the first red flag of the day as Nico Hulkenberg beached his Williams FW32 in the gravel at the charmingly-named Dry Sack corner. The session was stopped for roughly twenty minutes as marshals gave Hulkenberg's car a lift back to the pits.

Once underway again it was Mark Webber who took control of the session, posting a 1:26.341 to lead the way after the first hour with Buemi and Kamui Kobayashi hot on his heels.

The Red Bull racer's reign, though, was short-lived as, after a minute of rain which thankfully dissipated almost immediately, it was Mercedes driver Michael Schumacher who moved into the lead with a 1:25.116.

He too, though, was swiftly dethroned as Buemi then put in a blistering 1:22.041. The Toro Rosso racer continued to lap impressively, shaving seconds off his time to keep the chasing pack at bay.

Two hours into the session, there was another round of red flags, this time the cause was debris on the track at Turn Two. It soon emerged that the debris was actually a piece bodywork from Timo Glock's Virgin VR01, which had lost its front wing.

Not the best morning for Glock and his new team, who found themselves at the bottom of the timesheets, almost ten seconds off the pace, and with the fewest number of laps to their name, only 11.

Another team struggling for pace early on were McLaren with Jenson Button lagging at the bottom of the timesheets before he put in his first competitive lap of the morning, a 1:21.528. That lap shot Button up to second place.

Buemi, though, continued to storm ahead, clocking a 1:20.504 to extend his advantage over his rivals. He didn't have it all his own way, though, as Button once again found some impressive pace to move within two-tenths of Buemi's best only for the Toro Rosso driver to respond with a 1:20.026, extending the gap to 0.592s.

Meanwhile, twenty minutes before the break, Hulkenberg finally ventured out again with his team having spent the past hours fixing his Williams. The German had suffered a hydraulic leak in the opening hour of play.

The Williams rookie took eighth place on his first timed lap of the day, improving to third with a 1:21.823, which put him just ahead of Schumacher, who appeared to be struggling with oversteer.

Robert Kubica, who Renault opted to run instead of Vitaly Petrov, announcing they wanted their lead driver to get the most of the dry track, finished in fifth place ahead of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.

The Spaniard was the busiest of the drivers on Thursday morning, completing almost 80laps, including a 40-plus lap run.

Tonio Liuzzi was seventh fastest, with Webber, Kobayashi and Glock completing the timesheets.


Unofficial Times
1. S. Buemi Toro Rosso STR5 1:20.026 52 laps
2. J. Button McLaren MP4-25 1:20.618 +0.592 29 laps
3. N. Hülkenberg Williams FW32 1:21.565 +1.539 18 laps
4. M. Schumacher Mercedes GP W01 1:21.907 +1.881 60 laps
5. F. Alonso Ferrari F10 1:21.928 +1.902 79 laps
6. R. Kubica Renault R30 1:22.129 +2.103 43 laps
7. V. Liuzzi Force India VJM-03 1:23.004 +2.978 33 laps
8. M. Webber Red Bull Racing RB6 1:23.164 +3.138 60 laps
9. K. Kobayashi Sauber C29 1:23.190 +3.164 39 laps
10. T. Glock Virgin Racing VR-01 1:29.964 +9.938 11 laps

Source: Planet F1

Valencia, day 2 - Massa stays quickest in Spain

Ferrari’s Felipe Massa took the top honours for a second consecutive day, as this week’s test at Valencia continued on Tuesday. Massa’s fastest time of 1m 11.722s in the Italian team’s new F10 was over three tenths of a second quicker than the best effort of Kamui Kobayashi, who made his debut for BMW Sauber at the Spanish track.

Exactly two-tenths down on Kobayashi was Lewis Hamilton in the McLaren MP4-25. Hamilton completed 108 laps during the course of the day, as he sampled his 2010 car for the first time. Robert Kubica set the fourth-fastest time for Renault, ahead of Nico Rosberg for Mercedes GP. Both Kubica and Rosberg covered 119 laps.

Sixth quickest was Rubens Barrichello for Williams, while Sebastien Buemi was the day’s final runner in seventh for Toro Rosso. After the gearbox problems that blighted his debut in the STR5 on Monday, Buemi was able to complete 107 laps.

Unofficial Tuesday test times from Valencia:
1. Felipe Massa, Ferrari, 1:11.722, 124 Laps
2. Kamui Kobayashi, BMW Sauber, 1:12.056, 96 Laps
3. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren, 1:12.256, 108 Laps
4. Robert Kubica, Renault, 1:12.426, 119 Laps
5. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes GP, 1:12.899, 119 Laps
6. Rubens Barrichello, Williams, 1:13.377, 102 Laps
7. Sebastien Buemi, Toro Rosso, 1:13.823, 107 Laps

Source: Formula1.com

Massa in black still quick on Tuesday

Wearing a prototype black carbon helmet for manufacturer Schuberth, Felipe Massa on Tuesday continued to impress at the wheel of Ferrari's 2010 car.

As the Valencia test entered its second day in chilly conditions, the Brazilian led his chasers into the 1m11s and was "extremely satisfied with the car's set up and the tyres' grip", according to the famous Italian team.

Again impressive was Sauber's new C29, this time in the hands of Japanese rookie Kamui Kobayashi, while Lewis Hamilton was a full second ahead of test driver Gary Paffet's Monday time in the McLaren MP4-25.

However, the British team concerned some onlookers when it was seen to again use its green aerodynamic paint, so synonymous with McLaren's problems of 2009.

But McLaren said the paint is now routine, and "no cause for concern".

At the lunch break, Mercedes (Nico Rosberg), Williams (Rubens Barrichello), Renault (Robert Kubica, who is also wearing a black carbon helmet on Tuesday) and Toro Rosso (Sebastien Buemi), followed in the time sheet pecking order.

Source: F1 Complete