Kamui Kobayashi

Of all the drivers in the Formula One fraternity, Kamui Kobayashi (小林 可夢偉) seems to be one of the most difficult to work out.

Formula One fans love watching him, and he's famed for overtaking, but he does less overtaking than many drivers out on the field. He's rarely been defensively punchy other than his début in Brazil in 2009.

His GP2 record is less than exceptional. He would never have got into Formula One if he was a different nationality.

I think Kobayashi must be praised, but not for the usual reasons. What is outstanding is that given the opportunity, he picks up points. He did so at Abu Dhabi in 2009, for much of the latter half of 2010 and his run of points scores in 2011 (not counting his dsq in Australia) was longer than anyone's bar Button, Webber and Vettel. Excellent strategic decisions from his advisors in Spa and Valencia in 2010 and in Monaco and Canada in 2011 have seen excellent finishes.

Martin Brundle's favourite word when referring to Kobayashi is the typical "banzai", which refers to punchy Japanese drivers. I would argue that Kobayashi is less banzai than some of his less than illustrious predecessors, and thus more able to finish Grands Prix, and well placed to become the best driver that Grand Prix racing Japan has ever produced.

 

[Slyboogy]

It wasn't Brawn who found the loophole, it was an employee working for Super Aguri In 2008 back in Japan who did.

 

[Cookinflatsix]

Honda could come back with their old buddies McLaren in 2014

Lewis and Koba team-mates in 2014?

See how comfortable they were together at the fans forum at the MTC?

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Koba's signed up for 2012:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/93417

Good investment.

Who knows, perhaps Renault will get desperate if Kubica can't make a comeback and they may buy Koba out from Peter Sauber?

 

[RasputinLives]

I think Kobi is better off at Sauber than he would be at Renault. This years car ain't that much better than the Sauber and financially Renault are worse off.

 

[Slyboogy]

How do we know the Renault isn't much better? Renault have scored two podiums, and are usually finishing ahead of Sauber.

The Sauber is only good at certain tracks from what I have seen.

It will probably be better off for Kobayashi to stay at Sauber for one more year I agree with ou there.

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Staying at one place too long can also be a risk.

Sutil anyone?

Massa!

Right now Koba's stock is high and rising. Peter Sauber isn't an idiot. (He signed Raikkonen before the Finn even had a super licence and then sold him very expensively a year later to Ron Dennis at McLaren. What Sauber got for Kimi paid for that big wind tunnel that they're still using at Hinwil!)

So, either way, Peter Sauber wins in the near term. He can keep Koba "The Consistent Points Scorer"...or he can sell the young Jap to a desperate bidder and pocket some good money.

 

[RasputinLives]

Kobi has only been there 2 years guys - he's hardly stuck in his ways - Last year he confirmed his place and this year he confirmed himself as number 1.

Sutil has stayed at Force India as long as he has because no one else will take him and Massa has stayed at Ferrari for so long because where the hell was he going to move where he'd be offered a car equal to the one he's got.

I just think Renault are in a little bit of a transitions stage at the moment and when they come out of it I doubt they'd be called Renault. Sauber however appear to be on the rise again and I think we'll see that car getting a podium some time soon - if not this season then near the start of the next.

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Sauber however appear to be on the rise again and I think we'll see that car getting a podium some time soon - if not this season then near the start of the next.

When you have McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull fighting for the top 6 places, there's hardly any room for a podium from someone else.

Mercedes GP are not a small team. They have Ross Brawn and German automotive and Malaysian oil money and are a big team too.

Mercedes think they'll have an excellent car next year (they actually think that!)

So, how are you going to get a podium in a Sauber with those other 8 guys in the top 4 teams fighting at the
Sharp End?

How?

Heck, i'd rather take a punt on Williams rising to the top of the mid field. Renault engines and a proper car designer like Mike Coughlan will make Williams a reasonably decent team again capable of challenging for 6th or 5th in the WCC.

 

[teabagyokel]

So, how are you going to get a podium in a Sauber with those other 8 guys in the top 4 teams fighting at the
Sharp End?

How?

Lets say, for the sake of argument, that there is a race where Kobayashi starts 13th, under the Safety Car. A good couple of laps and he's up to 8th when two team-mates crash at the front, and one of them retires. Another Safety Car and Kobayashi is 6th. Everyone decides to pit for inters, a wrong move, because the rain starts geting heavier and Kobayashi, who hasn't pitted is up to 2nd when the race is stopped.

Then the rain goes on.


If you recognise this situation, it is the first 25 laps of the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix. Say it doesn't clear up in Montreal. Say there is no restart. Then Sauber have a podium.

Stranger things have happened in inclement climes, so I wouldn't rule it out too quickly.

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Lets say, for the sake of argument, that there is a race where Kobayashi starts 13th, under the Safety Car...Stranger things have happened in inclement climes, so I wouldn't rule it out too quickly.

Sure. But that's a lottery situation.

The same could apply for just about any of the mid field pack. I mean, you could substitute Rosberg or Schumacher or Petrov or Heidfeld or Sutil or di Resta for the Sauber driver.

On the budget they have (and, more significantly, the budgets they're up against), there's little chance of Sauber moving up the grid significantly from where they are, frankly.

 

[teabagyokel]

Sauber have proven extraordinarily resourceful in the past, they've beaten bigger budgets before. And some of them weren't even Toyota.

 

[RasputinLives]

Plus Ray we were discussing whether Kobi should move to Renault or stay at Sauber - as you clearly stated Renault would have just as many problems as getting podiums as Sauber - why would Kobi make a sideways move when he's happy and comfy as number 1 driver at Sauber?

Obviously if a Red Bull, Ferrari, Mclaren or even Merc seat was offered him I'd tell him to jump at it.

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Ray we were discussing whether Kobi should move to Renault or stay at Sauber - as you clearly stated Renault would have just as many problems as getting podiums as Sauber - why would Kobi make a sideways move when he's happy and comfy as number 1 driver at Sauber?

Because "comfy" isn't the way "forward".

And I don't think Renault is a "sideways move". Kubica was being paid about 8 Million at Renault. That's hardly "sideways" in relation to what Sauber pay.

Kobayashi needs to start moving up the grid and out of his comfort zone to get a better idea of how good he really is. His benchmarks have been much older Journeymen Number 2s (de la Rosa, Heidfeld, Trulli) and a rookie (Perez). I'd like to see him up against greater benchmarks.

Senna dumped Toleman after 1 season and then abandoned Lotus in order to win a championship at "Prost's Team" (McLaren).

There was no element of Senna being "comfy" while he was rising through the ranks. I'm by no means suggesting that Kobayashi is a Senna...but the point is similar.

 

[Josh]

Ray, there aren't a lot of teams where he can go to. If Kubica comes back it'll probably be Kubica and Petrov (or Kubica and Grosjean), and if Kubica doesn't come back it'll most likely be Petrov and Grosjean. Boullier really wants to give Grosjean another chance in F1 and Petrov should know enough by next year that he could lead a team.

Where else can he go to? The top teams don't have any seats left for him, and I don't think he has impressed suitably enough for a top team to really want him anyway. Sauber is a good place as they are moving forward (and Renault is moving backwards) and Koba is the #1 driver.

 

[Slyboogy]

Yes, sometimes I do think that people do "overrate" Kobayashi to an extent, as much as he has turned me into a supporter of his (thought people overated him a bit in 2009, and in early 2010) I do think staying at Sauber is his best option, Force India are fighting with Sauber for 6th place they have three drivers, he can't go to Mercedes, Josh has already pointed out the Renault situation.

Who else left apart from the big 4? Just teams behind Sauber...

It is hard to move around in the current driver market...it is just one of those era's

 

[RasputinLives]

And I don't think Renault is a "sideways move". Kubica was being paid about 8 Million at Renault. That's hardly "sideways" in relation to what Sauber pay.

ahhhh if its all about the money money money - then yes you are correct Renault will probably be a step up - but as he reg beats both of the Renaults on track at the moment to me its sideways.

 

[KekeTheKing]

The guy's basically a menace out there these days.

He's been told by EJ, Brundle, and DC for two years about how he's the greatest overtaker the world has ever seen, and he felt the need to try and show that again today by looking for a return stab to the outside of a guy who had already well and truly passed him.

Kobash has undoubtedly made more contact with other cars in his relatively brief career than basically any other driver ever.

Not to mention that his rookie teammate is consistently faster than him.

 

[Sarinaide]

Kobiyashi until recent races was actually very cautious on the overtaking, nothing like last years Suzaka's pillage and plunder.

I would not go so far as to say that he was totally out of order, possibly need not to have done anything, but to some on the forum who are about racing and want racing, can't complain to much. Personally I wouldn't be happy with incidents like this.

 

[FB]

One can only hope Peter Sauber has a word in his shell like. I can't imagine he's the sort of team boss to be too impressed by the way Kobayashi is driving at the mo.

 

[Fenderman]

I too was mesmerised by Kobi's early performances. I now realise that it was indeed hypnosis. Either that or the consequences of sleep deprivation. Still, he is young and given the appropriate coaching he may yet justify the adulation he once had.