Team BMW Sauber savor the Spa experience
Kamui Kobayashi enjoys the challenges of the Spa Francorchamps and nothing matches the excitement of driving around this circuit for him. The Japanese drove around the remarkable circuit in Formula Renault and GP2. He expects to renew his memories with the track next week. Kobayashi claims the track is an experience of a lifetime for the drivers because of the high-speed corners and the views you get from the circuit being integrated into the natural landscape of the location. The Sauber driver had good experiences in Spa during his time in Formula Renault and GP2 and expects his car to be good on the fast corners. On top of that, the unpredictable weather of Spa guarantees a race full of excitement and surprises.
"Perhaps it won't be so good on the straight, but let's wait and see how it goes when we all get back refreshed after the summer break. What always worries me a bit is the weather in Spa. It can be very unpredictable and include heavy rain in some parts of the circuit, while it is dry in others”, said the Japanese driver.
Kamui Kobayashi, born on 23 September began his motorsports career at the age of nine when he began karting. He won 4 titles in the next 7 years. After signing with Toyota’s Driver Academy, the 23-year old joined the Formula Renault and travelled around the world. He was able to secure the Italian and European titles with six race victories each. The Japanese graduated to the Formula Euro Series in 2006 and finished sixth that season behind teammates Paul di Resta and Sebastian Vettel, champion and runner-up respectively. The following year, Kamui finished 4th in the drivers’ standings with just a single victory alongside teammate Sebastian Grosjean, who took the title that year with six wins. He joined Formula 1 in 2007 as the test driver for Toyota F1. At the same time he joined the GP2 Asia Series and came 6th overall in his first season with 2 wins before winning the GP2 Asia Series the following winter.
The son of a sushi chef started his Formula 1 career last year with team Toyota as a full-time driver in 2009. The Japanese driver was able to score only 3 points but had an explosive end to the season, but he was not able to do enough to secure a full-time racing seat with the team. The 23-year old is currently in BMW Sauber and has scored 17 points.
Kamui Kobayashi’s teammate, Pedro de le Rosa, enjoys how the weather challenges the drivers in the most testing of conditions. The Spanish driver will be driving at Spa after a long time but claims Spa is a circuit a driver cannot forget. The high-speed corners challenge the drivers especially the Eau Rouge where there will be a good overtaking possibility as it is flat out at this time of the year. Driving on this track is every drivers dream and it takes it to another level when it rains.
Pedro has been in the Formula 1 since 1999 when he joined team Arrows for 2 years. He joined Jaguar in 2001 and scored just 3 points. The Spaniard stayed with the team for another year but struggled to make an impression, as he did not score a single point in 2002. The Spaniard became the test driver for various teams from 2002-2005 including McLaren. During his test driving years with McLaren, He got to race for a couple of races in 2005 and 2006. The Spaniard joined BMW Sauber in 2010 as a full-time driver and is currently in 17th place with 6 points.
"I think for a typical Spa weekend you have to have rain at some point. Racing in Spa is all about rhythm, as you need to keep the cornering speed very high. I enjoyed the holiday break, but I must say I prefer this after the end of the season. I did many sports and can't wait to go racing again, especially as our car is getting better and better. I am desperately looking forward to hunting for some more championship points”, said Pedro.
BMW Sauber expects to have a good race at the Spa Francorchamps next week and believes they will score some good points there.
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