Kamui Kobayashi is a Japanese racing driver. 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. In the seven years that followed, Kobayashi took four karting titles, winning the Toyota SL All Japan Tournament Cadet Class series twice. He has competed in the GP2 Series, won the GP2 Asia Series, and made his Formula One debut with Toyota in the final two races of 2009 when he replaced Timo Glock after the German was injured in a crash during qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix. He has driven for Sauber since the 2010 season. Kobayashi took his maiden podium in Formula One with third place at the Japanese Grand Prix. He became the first Japanese driver to finish on a Formula One podium in Japan in 22 years, after Aguri Suzuki in the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix, and was the third Japanese driver to finish on a Formula One podium after Suzuki and Takuma Sato in the 2004 United States Grand Prix. On 23 November 2012, Sauber announced that Kobayashi would not be a part of the team\'s line-up for the 2013 season.
