Kobayashi will be the new test driver for Toyota

The Toyota Formula 1 team announced today that Kamui Kobayashi will replace Franck Montagny as the third driver starting next month.

The 21-year-old Japanese driver, who is currently competing in Macau in the F3 Euro-series for the last race of the year, will indeed be testing with the red and white team during the three scheduled days in Jerez (Spain).

“It’s a big challenge for me and I am very happy to become an F1 driver,” he commented. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for me.”

My first tests with the team last winter went well, but I still have things to learn about F1 and it will be a great experience for me to test more regularly with the team […] but for now I mainly want to help the team move forward.

Kobayashi is part of Toyota’s young driver development program, just as Nakajima—currently with Williams—and Hijate, who is currently in GP2, were. It is very likely that the Japanese driver will continue competing in GP2 alongside F1 in 2008.

But according to the Director of Toyota Racing – Tadashi Yamashima – Kobayashi is ready: « Kamui [Kobayashi] tested the car last winter and showed that he had the potential to drive a F1 single-seater. »

This driver still in F3 today won a race this season and is currently in 4th place in the championship, already won last week by Romain Grosjean.