At the , Kobayashi suffered a gearbox failure and retired from the  after hitting a track-side barrier. Kobayashi's teammate changed in Singapore as Pedro de la Rosa was removed in favour of Nick Heidfeld. In Japan, Kobayashi qualified 14th and finished seventh, passing several drivers along the way including his teammate, in a very impressive fashion.
Kobayashi's racing career was halted at , due to a gearbox failure that led to his retirement. His teammate took over for the Singapore event, replacing Pedro de la Rosa with Nick Heidfeld. In Japan, Kobayashi demonstrated impressive driving skills, advancing from 14th to seventh place, passing several opponents, including his own teammate.