Sauber to keep Kobayashi for 2011 season
Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi of Japan has revealed that he will stay with the team for the 2011 Formula 1 season. The 23-year-old has advanced from Toyota test driver in 2008-09 to become a regular with Sauber, after replacing Timo Glock for the last two races of the 2009 season due to injury.
After a best finish of sixth place at Silverstone of the British Grand Prix, Kobayashi currently sits in eighth place with 21 points in the Drivers' Championship while his team is eighth. Also making the top ten in the qualifying sessions three times this season, the promising young prodigy keeps impressing his critics. Team principal Peter Sauber praises the young rookie: “We never had any doubts about working with him again in 2011," he states, according to BBC Sport. “Kamui has definitely fulfilled our expectations in terms of his speed and fighting spirit. Plus, his work with the engineers and his technical understanding has also developed very well. The experience he has built up over his first full season in Formula 1 will certainly stand him in good stead for 2011. And our aim is to give him a fast and reliable car from the outset next season.”
As for Kobayashi, the driver is positive yet critical of his performance, and aims to improve. “We had a very difficult start to the season but we've worked together to pull ourselves out of that situation," he reflects. "I feel very much at home in Peter Sauber's team and am very pleased we will be working together again in 2011. However, for now I'm focusing 100% on this year. There are still six Grand Prix weekends to go in 2010 and we'll be hoping to make up more ground."
The second driver for Sauber’s 2011 season is yet to be named, with Kobayashi’s team-mate Pedro de la Rosa currently 17th in the standings.
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