Kazuki Nakajima

is a Japanese professional athlete.  He is best known as a Formula One racing driver. He drove for the Williams-Toyota team from  to . Prior to that he had been their test driver. He has also competited in the GP2 Series for the DAMS team. For , Nakajima had signed with Stefan GP. He as to be one of their race drivers. Stefan GP was not accepted as an entrant in the Formula One world championship.

Early life
Nakajima was born in Okazaki, Aichi, Japan.DriverDatabase.com, Kazuki Nakajima; retrieved 2012-7-22.  He is the son of the retired Formula One driver Satoru Nakajima.DriverDatabase.com, Satoru; retrieved 2012-7-22. His younger brother, Daisuke, is also a racing driver.DriverDatabase.com, Daisuke Nakajima; retrieved 2012-7-22.

Racing career
 Pre-Formula One 
Nakajima started his career in racing in 1996, when he started karting. His father had been backed by Toyota's arch-rivals Honda through his career. Nakajima hoped that by joining Toyota he would shield himself against any claims that his father had promoted his career.

In 2002, Nakajima won a scholarship in Formula Toyota, which he became champion in a year later. He progressed onto Japanese Formula Three in 2004, winning two of the 20 races and finishing fifth in the Drivers' Championship. Nakajima stayed in Japanese Formula Three for 2005, finishing second. He also raced in the Japanese GT300 sports car series, where he ended the year eighth.

Nakajima moved to the Formula Three Euroseries in 2006. He finished seventh with 36 points.


In November 2006, Nakajima was named a Williams test driver for the 2007 season. Nakajima's debut in a Formula One car came at Fuji Speedway during November 2006, where he completed four demonstration laps in wet conditions."Nakajima makes F1 debut with Williams" F1Racing.Net. Retrieved 27 November 2006

Nakajima raced in the GP2 series in 2007 for the DAMS team. Nakajima also served as Williams' test driver, completing 7,000 km of testing for the team.

Nakajima's first year in GP2 finished with no wins, but five consecutive podiums and ended the year as top rookie.

 Formula One 
It was announced on 9 October 2007 that following the retirement of Alexander Wurz, Nakajima would race for Williams in the season finale in  Brazilian Grand Prix. Nakajima finished tenth in the race. He set the fifth fastest lap – quicker than his team-mate Nico Rosberg, who finished fourth. 

On 7 November it was confirmed by Williams that Nakajima would partner Rosberg at the Williams team for the  season. He had a successful start to 2008 at the Australian Grand Prix. He finishing seventh but promoted to sixth after Rubens Barrichello was disqualified. He then finished seventh in the Spanish Grand Prix. Nakajima scored two points at Monaco. He was the first Japanese Formula One driver to scored a point at Monaco. Nakajima scored again at the British Grand Prix. In Singapore, Nakajima made it to the third qualifying round for the first time. He qualifyed 10th and finish eighth and scored a point.


Nakajima was retained by Williams for the  season. At the Australian Grand Prix he crashed into the wall at turn six, putting him out of the race. Nakajima also retired at Bahrain. He crashed two laps from the end of the Monaco Grand Prix whilst running in 10th place. At the British Grand Prix, Nakajima qualifying in an fifth place, hi highest starting spot. Nakajima finished the season without scoring a single point.

Williams signed Rubens Barrichello and Nico Hülkenberg for 2010, leaving Nakajima without a seat. Stefan GP announced on 19 February 2010 that Nakajima was one of the team's drivers. Strefan GP was built from the remains of the Toyota F1 team. Toyota had withdrawn from F1 in late 2009. Stefan GP did not have an entry to the 2010 Formula One season. The FIA ruled that Stefan GP could not be entered for the season at such a late stage. That left Nakajima with no ride in Formula One for 2010.

 Racing record 
 Career summary 
 Season Series Team Name Races Poles Wins Points Final Placing 2003 Formula Toyota ? 10 3 3 134 1st 2004 All-Japan Formula Three TOM'S 20 2 2 138 5th Macau Grand Prix TOM'S 1 0 0 N/A 13th Bahrain F3 Superprix TOM'S 1 0 0 N/A 7th 2005 All-Japan Formula Three TOM'S 20 3 2 209 2nd Macau Grand Prix TOM'S 1 0 0 0 5th Super GT (GT300) Kicchouhouzan with apr 7 0 1 52 8th 2006 Formula Three Euroseries Manor Motorsport 20 0 1 36 7th Macau Grand Prix Manor Motorsport 1 0 0 N/A NC Masters of Formula Three Manor Motorsport 1 0 0 N/A 26th 2007 Formula One Williams 1 0 0 0 22nd GP2 Series DAMS 21 1 0 44 6th 2008 Formula One Williams 18 0 0 9 15th 2009 Formula One Williams 17 0 0 0 20th

 Complete GP2 Series results 
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
 Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 DC Points 2007 DAMS BHRFEA17 BHRSPR6 ESPFEA15 ESPSPR7 MONFEA10 FRAFEA17 FRASPR6 GBRFEA3 GBRSPR3 EURFEA3 EURSPR3 HUNFEA2 HUNSPRRet TURFEA6 TURSPRRet ITAFEADSQ ITASPR18 BELFEARet BELSPR9 VALFEA3 VALSPR7 6th 42

 Complete Formula One World Championship results 
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)
 Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 WDC Points 2007 AT&T Williams Williams FW29 Toyota RVX-07 2.4 L V8 AUSTD MALTD BHR ESP MON CANTD USATD FRA GBR EUR HUN TUR ITA BEL JPN CHNTD BRA10 22nd 0 2008 AT&T Williams Williams FW30 Toyota RVX-08 2.4 L V8 AUS6 MAL17 BHR14 ESP7 TURRet MON7 CANRet FRA15 GBR8 GER14 HUN13 EUR15 BEL14 ITA12 SIN8 JPN15 CHN12 BRA17 15th 9 2009 AT&T Williams Williams FW31 Toyota RVX-09 2.4 L V8 AUSRet MAL12 CHNRet BHRRet ESP13 MON15 TUR12 GBR11 GER12 HUN9 EUR18 BEL13 ITA10 SIN9 JPN15 BRARet ABU13 20th 0

 References 

Other websites

 Official Website
 Career statistics
 Official F1 website interview

Category:1985 births
Category:Living people
Category:Japanese Formula One drivers
Category:GP2 Series drivers
Category:Sportspeople from Aichi Prefecture