Q&A with Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi
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Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi has endured a difficult start to the 2010 season. A mixture of technical problems and accidents saw Kobayashi retire from five of the opening six races. But at the Turkish Grand Prix the Japanese driver finally made an impression on the scoreboard, clinching one point thanks to his 10th-place finish at Istanbul Park…
Q: What does scoring the point at the Turkish Grand Prix mean to you?
Kamui Kobayashi: The team did a really good job that weekend. We had some very difficult situations in the previous races, so it was really nice to bring both cars home in Istanbul and get this point. But it is only a single point, and that is not something we should be satisfied with. It can only be the first step.
Q: What means more to you - making it into the top ten in qualifying for the third time or in the race for the first time?
KK: Definitely qualifying means more to me because it shows my true performance. In a race you can always benefit from somebody else's misfortune or have an issue yourself. That makes the race result something different. Qualifying is about pure performance, and I think if we get everything right we always have a chance to get into the final qualifying session.
Q: How did you motivate yourself when you retired again and again?
KK: Sometimes it was not easy to dispel bad memories, like the accident that happened in Melbourne after I lost the front wing, but motivation has never been a problem. I love going racing and our targets were always realistic. We wanted to score points and we're not dreaming about winning races the next day.
Q: What do you expect from the next races?
KK: Canada will be a new track for me. I don't even know it from the simulator and so have to learn it in free practice. Obviously other drivers will have an advantage here, but I don't see it as a problem. In general I feel we are now on the right path. The way we work together and are attuned to each other has improved, and it was so nice to see the mechanics in Istanbul smiling for the first time after the race! Until then I had only seen disappointed faces on Sunday nights. With this positive feeling, that everybody will now pick up on, and our improvements to the car, I'm sure we will be doing better in the future.
Q: What are the most important things you still have to learn?
KK: There are many! I have only four complete races under my belt in Formula One - two last year and two this year. This is not a lot and I really have to work hard and learn many things - tyre management, for example. I was too hard on the tyres early on in Istanbul so at the end I could see the canvas on the right front tyre. This is something you have to learn to think about, it takes experience.
Q: How is your working relationship with your team mate Pedro de la Rosa?
KK: Pedro is a very nice guy, and with all his experience he is a really good team mate for me. I'm the rookie, he knows everything and he shares it with me.
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Racing History
2010
Gives team first Q3 showing of the year with P9 on the grid at round three in Malaysia, but poor luck sees him retire from all four of season's four opening flyaway races.
2009
Wins the GP2 Asia Series with two wins, 17th in the main GP2 Series with one podium. Third driver for Toyota and chosen to stand in for an injured Timo Glock in Brazil and Abu Dhabi. Signs to race for BMW Sauber in 2010.
2008
Sixth in the GP2 Asia Series with two wins, 16th in the main GP2 Series with one win. Third driver for Toyota.
2007
Wins one race in his second season racing in the Formula Three Eurocup. Tests for Toyota.
2006
Scores three podiums in his first Formula Three Eurocup season.
2005
Wins the Italian and Eurocup Formula Renault championships.
2004
Competes in the Italian Formula Renault series. Wins two races and finishes the championship seventh.
2003
A second season in the Formula Toyota series sees him finish second in the standings.
2002
Races single-seaters for the first time in the Esso Formula Toyota championship
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