Kamui Kobayashi gets ready to climb into the no. 48 Cadillac DPi, Friday January 21, 2022 for Weather Tech Championship practice at Daytona International Speedway.

formula-1

Who is the Last Japanese Driver To Win a Podium at the Japanese GP?

Kamui Kobayashi is the last Japanese to win a podium in the Japanese GP in F1.

Kamui Kobayashi gets ready to climb into the no. 48 Cadillac DPi, Friday January 21, 2022 for Weather Tech Championship practice at Daytona International Speedway.

Kamui Kobayashi is a name that many have forgotten in F1. The newer generation of F1 fans and the community inspired by Drive to Survive hardly remembers his existence. But, Kamui Kobayashi is no ordinary name. In fact, he was once a star of Japan who raced for midfield teams in F1 and produced daring results. Kobayashi was known for his aggressive driving style and overtaking manouveres during his tenure at F1.

Kamui Kobayashi is currently racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship. He has won two championships in the series in 2020 and 2021. Kobayashi finished third in the 2024 WEC for Toyota Gazoo Racing.

Kamui Kobayashi is the last F1 driver from Japan to win a podium finish in his home race. He is one of the only three Japanese drivers to win a podium at the Japanese GP in Formula 1. Kobayashi’s career did not last long in Formula 1. He could race for three full seasons. However, the results speak for themselves.

Kobayashi was regarded as a terrific driver and respected in the midfield during the turbo-hybrid era. He went up against many former F1 champions in the midfield and gave them a run for their money. In many ways, Kamui Kobayashi was a driver who could never live up to his full potential in F1.

Kamui Kobayashi- The Star Who Could Never Rise from The Land of the Rising Sun

Kamui Kobayashi earned his only F1 podium at the Japanese Grand Prix of 2012. It was not a fluke though. Kobayashi had to battle against some of the toughest opponents in F1. He went up against cars which were much faster than his Sauber. Kobayashi beat the McLarens, Lotus, Ferrari and Red Bull to claim a third place finish in the race.

Kobayashi had a great season in 2012. He could only finish 12th in the final driver standings but he claimed 60 points throughout the season. Unfortunaltely, Kamui Kobayashi did not have a good seat in the upcoming year. He was dropped from Sauber and relegated to Caterham F1 team.

Still the only Japanese driver to score a home podium in the 21st century – Kamui Kobayashi! 👏🇯🇵#F1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/6QxzWSZbUr
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 2, 2025

Kobayashi had a disastrous spell at Caterham. He could not even finish one race in points throughout the season. Suddenly, the best midfielder of F1 was no more than a backmarker. It was his last season in Formula 1. Kobayashi never returned to grid. He favored the Endurance Championship instead. Kamui Kobayashi has been bringing exceptional results in WEC with Toyota Gazoo Racing.

Will Yuki Tsunoda end the 12 year long wait from Japan for a podium finish in their home race? The Japanese GP 2025 Qualifying Results are not in his favor. The fact that he is driving a underperforming Red Bull is not going to do any good to him either. Although, we shall keep our fingers crossed for the Japanese sensation of Red Bull.

Formula 1

Formula 1 2025 Season

Japanese Grand Prix

Kamui Kobayashi

Rohan Singh

nhl

I work as a Writer at The Playoffs specialising in NHL, Formula 1 and Motorsports. I got into online journalism a couple of years ago. I used to be an intern for a website managing their Formula 1 content and then I served an entire year as a contractual writer.