Kamui Kobayashi set for 2010 seat after impressing Toyota
Kamui Kobayashi has almost certainly guaranteed himself a place in Formula One for next season after impressing the Toyota team principal, John Howett. Taking up the seat vacated by Timo Glock, whose qualifying accident in Japan left him with a cracked vertebra, Kobayashi has shone in the final two races, Brazil and Abu Dhabi.
The 23-year-old was ninth on his debut in São Paulo a fortnight ago prior to claiming sixth in Formula One's first day-night race at the Yas Marina circuit today, a place ahead of experienced team-mate Jarno Trulli.
Kobayashi showed no fear, at one stage going wheel-to-wheel with new world champion Jenson Button, and now he is "70% to 80% certain" of being given a permanent contract, according to Howett.
"We're very impressed," said Howett of Kobayashi, who is a product of the team's driver development programme. "What we like is his real fighting spirit. He's not intimidated by anybody, which is very positive."
Asked if Kobayashi would take one of two vacant seats – with neither Trulli nor Glock likely to be retained – Howett added: "It looks like it. We'll have to give it very serious consideration. He [Kobayashi] has shown very good, strong resolve, so we have to be serious. He has come through the Toyota driver programme, which is a very positive reason. He's also Japanese and we're a Japanese team, so there are lots of positives."
Kobayashi would be cheap in terms of salary, as Howett recognised by describing him as "definitely good value".
Although Kobayashi failed to impress in GP2, Howett added: "That's why there was some hesitation. We always understood he was very good in terms of racing spirit, as he has shown throughout his career. But because the GP2 pace did not look that competitive, you are hesitant about the risk. So it's a definite lesson that sometimes we should be braver in our driver choices and not go for a safer, risk-hedged decision."
Howett has confirmed a decision will be made on both seats by the end of the month, with no announcements likely before 15 November, when the team will hold a board meeting to determine its 2010 budget.