page_title: Kamui Kobayashi
section_title: 2010
hierarchical_section_title: Kamui Kobayashi / Racing career / Formula One (2007–2012) / Sauber (2010–2012) / 2010
caption_attribution_description: Formula One 2010 Rd.3 Malaysian GP: Kamui Kobayashi (BMW Sauber) during Friday 2nd Free Practice session.
context_page_description: Kamui Kobayashi is a Japanese professional racing driver who, as of 2020, competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Toyota Gazoo Racing and in the Super Formula Championship for KCMG. He previously competed in Formula One, Formula E, the GP2 Series, and the GP2 Asia Series.
context_section_description: Following Toyota's withdrawal, Kobayashi faced an uncertain future, but he was mentioned in lists of probable drivers for the series' new teams for 2010. After weeks of speculation, it was confirmed on December 17, 2009 he would drive for Peter Sauber's recovered Sauber team after BMW Sauber had withdrawn for 2010. His teammate was former McLaren tester Pedro de la Rosa. Kobayashi completed his first laps in the new Sauber C29 chassis during F1 winter testing on 2 February.
  During the Australian Grand Prix, a front wing failure on his Sauber caused him to hit the barrier, rebounding off it to cause a three-car crash taking out Nico Hülkenberg and Sébastien Buemi. In the next race in Malaysia he qualified in ninth place, his best grid position up to that point, however he suffered an engine failure early in the race. In China, Kobayashi was involved in a three-way collision with Buemi and Vitantonio Liuzzi on the first lap, making him the only driver to retire from the first four races. In Turkey, he won his first points of the season, coming home tenth after being promoted a place due to Vettel's retirement after a collision with teammate Webber and Petrov's puncture. In Valencia, he finished seventh by passing both Fernando Alonso and Sébastien Buemi in the final laps on fresh tyres, after driving the majority of the race in third position on his first set of tyres. He followed that with sixth place in Silverstone, eleventh in Germany, ninth in Hungary and eighth in Belgium.
  At the Italian Grand Prix, Kobayashi suffered a gearbox failure and retired from the Singapore Grand Prix 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. He finished eighth in Korea and tenth in Brazil, eventually finishing the season with 32 points. In his review of the season, former TV commentator Murray Walker stated that Kobayashi is "without a doubt Japan's best [F1 driver] yet". Kobayashi gained a reputation during the season as a highly skilled overtaker, being able to outbrake drivers several car lengths in front of him. His aggressive overtaking style was described by Martin Brundle as, "He gets to the normal braking point and then goes, 'Now, which one is the brake again? That's right, it's on the left,' and he just sails past people!" He qualified well against his more experienced teammates, outqualifying de la Rosa and Heidfeld 11 times to 8 over the season.
caption: Kobayashi driving for Sauber at the 2010 Malaysian Grand Prix
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