Kamui Kobayashi has been competing for Toyota Gazoo Racing at the World Endurance FIA Championship for nine years, winning the championship twice. It will be behind the steering wheel for the team at Totalenergies 6 hours of spa-francorchamps on Saturday.
And since 2022, he was also the team leader. While team leaders such as Mercedes’ Toto Wolff and Christian Horner of Red Bull in Formula 1 came as drivers, Kobayashi plays a rare double role in such a high profile team.
“I was obviously quite surprised, as I didn’t expect it,” Kobayashi said that the role was offered. “I am proud and appreciate the opportunity. It is certainly not easy to do things together at the same time, but at the end of the day we adapted and has gone well, I am not going to do what myself, we have many kids in the team.
“I am still passionate about driving fast cars as much as I can,” he said, joking that it only takes extra time in each day.
“Instead of sitting and having coffee, you have an extra meeting, but at the end of the day it’s part of the job and I like it,” he said. “Once you get involved so many people and you have to decide one thing. The responsibility is higher. It is not easy.”
Under Kobayashi, one of the three drivers of the car No. 7, the sister’s crew No. 8 won the Driver’s 2022 and 2023 championship, with No. 7 doing it two in 2023. Toyota won the manufacturers’ championship in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Sébastien Buemi ran the car No 8 from 2012, receiving two of the four titles of his drivers under the leadership of Kobayashi, which he met since he ran to Formula 3 in 2005.
“I have the feeling that it didn’t change so much,” Buemi said about Kobayashi. “He was already very involved in the Japanese side of the company and was trying to have strong communication within the company.
The base of the team is in Cologne, Germany, but the team also has businesses and technological development in Japan. Buemi said he believed that Kobayashi-a toyota-backed driver, who competed in the 76 Formula 1 Grands Prix-had better cohesion between the parties, merging different cultures and work practices. He has also promoted stronger attention to detail in the league, where eight manufacturers compete now.
“I think it’s a development, but he tried to boost communication between drivers and management and engineers, and we have a good structure,” Buemi said. “We’ve been through a long time now, so I don’t think there’s something we’re doing very wrong but in my opinion it has improved the link – I wouldn’t say We are more heard than before – but it works better, it has put some oil on the structures, understands both restrictions. Six drivers is not easy, many people to deal with, but I think we have done a much better job in communicating and exporting small details. ”
Nyck de Vries was the driver toyota test and reserve from 2020 to 2022 before returning to the team in 2024 after a stint in Formula 1.
“I remember watching Kamui when I was younger. I was karting and he was in Formula 1,” De Vries said. “My sister was a fan of Kamui growing up. We had a t -shirt and I really remember the fight that stood on the podium at the Japanese Grand Prix.”
He added that he was an honor to be his teammate, “more for everything he has achieved as a driver and what he has done in his career, raw speed and talent he has, and not necessarily the boss.”
The other drivers said Kobayashi does not receive special treatment as soon as he is behind the steering wheel.
“I share the car with the boss,” De Vries said. “I think as teammates do not feel the hierarchy at all. I feel like we are all very much and work together to achieve the best possible results collectively as a team for the team.
Buemi recalled a race in Bahrain in 2024 when Kobayashi prioritized the other car over his own.
“They still fought for the championship,” he said, “but they had an issue in their car and was one of the first to say,” Okay, let’s get the Park Car 7 make sure we will make the most of the car 8 as we are out of dispute. “
“Everyone would expect things to go to him more in favor of him,” Buemi said, “but I have never seen any difference – you see the joy it has when Car 8 is doing well.”
Kobayashi is still competing in a super formula and has gone to NASCAR and the IMSA Weathertech championship, believing that such experiences can help his double role in the WEC, is also willing to ensure that he is only one of the team.
“I enjoy time with other drivers,” he said. “Of course, I have a little more extra jobs, but I do similar activities. We enjoy time.
