Q:
What does your home race mean to you?

Kamui Kobayashi:
Returning to race in Japan as a Formula 1 driver means a lot to me. I had a taste of it last year when I steཧpped in for Timo Glock at Toyota for the Friday practice sessions. This was at short notice, but for this year's race a lot of supporters are going to be there. There has been a "Kamui Kobayashi" fans 🌸corner set up between turns two and three. It has more than 2000 seats and has been sold out for quite a while. I managed to buy tickets for friends and I hope they will be having fun.

Q:
What are your expectati♉ons for the race in Suzuka?

Kamui Kobayashi:
After a good qualifyin🐽g the outcome of the race in Singapore was, of course, disappointing for me. I hope in Suzuka we have reason to be happy on both Saturday and on💛 Sunday. We all think the circuit should suit our car pretty well.

Q:
When was your last race in Japan?

Kamui Kobayashi:
I didn't do a lot of racing in Japan 🔴and the🦋 last race was long ago. It was in 2003 with Formula Toyota on the short track in Suzuka, not on the Grand Prix circuit. I was 17 years old then.

Q:
What ไis the difference between racing 💟in Japan and Europe?

Kamui Kobayashi:
It is huge and I think this is because Europe has all the history in motor racing. You have plenty of smaller racing series which provide for good driver development. Anyone who has attended a Japanese Formula 1 Grand Pr♏ix knows about the excitement and passion the people have for it. But it is also true it is not easy for Japanese people to follow Formula 1 because the European races are broadcast live relatively late at night.

Q:
Have you ever felt home sick?

Kamui Kobayashi:
No. Of course it was strange when I first came to Europe, actually to Vicenza in Italy, because I didn't even speak English and everything was completely 💧different. But it was also a lot of fun!

Q:
But didn't you miss your parents and your younger si😼ster?

Kamui Kobayashi:
This seems 🐷to be very difficult to understand for Europeans, but for Japanese it is not that unusual to leave your family and go🌱 to work elsewhere. Even when I was doing things in Japan I rarely met my family. Most times I went to Tokyo and they still live in Amagasaki, which is close to Osaka and quite far away from Tokyo. I always like to stay somewhere nice, but it doesn't really matter which country it is.

Q:
You have got a dog - how does it💝 survive when you are always away?

Kamui Kobayashi:
Yes, I have a dog. Alfred is a Yorkshire Terri𝔍er and very cute! H👍e stays with a friend in Paris but I go and see him as much as I can.

Q:
Did you always dream of becoming a Formula 1 driver 🍎when you were a child?

Kamui Kobayashi:
No, never. I rather wanted to become a comedian - Amagasaki is quꦓite popular for Japanese comedians. But I found I wasn't talented enough.

Q:
Did yo𒁏u hav🐟e support from your parents to go racing?

Kamui Kobayashi:
My parents were not at all interested in racing. They still don't own a road car. I bought myself a car twice,ও but both times my father sold it. He runs a Sushi delivery shop in Amagasaki. Most likely if I hadn't been quick i🙈n karting perhaps I would have become a sushi chef. But I hate raw fish.