| Rikuto Kobayashi | |||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality: |  Japanese | ||||||||||||||||||
| Birth Date: | 1 July 2005 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Birth Place: | Yamagata, Japan | ||||||||||||||||||
| Current Series: | Super GT - GT300 | ||||||||||||||||||
| First Year: | 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Current Team: | apr | ||||||||||||||||||
| Car Number: | 30 | ||||||||||||||||||
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is a Japanese racing driver, esports player. Kobayashi is the driver who won the 2023 F4 Japanese Championship title.[1] He is also part of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Driver Challenge Program.[2]
Kobayashi started his formula racing in 2022 at F4 Japanese Championship with TGR-DC Racing School as a part from he got TGR-DC RS Scholarship Driver[3] He ended up finish 6th in the standings. He continued to compete for the 2023 season, and he won the title ahead of Jin Nakamura and Yusuke Mitsui. On 30 May 2023, Toyota Gazoo Racing announced that Kobayashi took part in WEC Challenge Program training session for young drivers who are deemed to have a future in the Le Mans 24 Hours. He participated and experienced firsthand how WEC drivers and engineers take on the challenge of Le Mans.[4]
Kobayashi will step up to Super Formula Lights with TOM'S alongside Jin Nakamura too.[5]
Nakamura also will make his debut to compete in Super GT - GT300 with apr, as he will partner Hiroaki Nagai and Manabu Orido.[6]
For 2021, Kobayashi raced in TOYOTA GAZOO Racing GT Cup where he claimed 3rd in the series.[7] He also competed in Gran Turismo World Series Showdown.[8] He's also part of the Virtual Drivers by TX3 eSport Team, on the Gran Turismo roster.
| Season | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Poles | FLaps | Podiums | Points | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | F4 Japanese Championship | TGR-DC Racing School | 14 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 120 | 6th |
| 2023 | F4 Japanese Championship | TGR-DC Racing School | 14 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 221 | 1st |
| 2024 | Super Formula Lights | TOM'S | |||||||
| Super GT - GT300 | apr | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0* | 23rd* | |
| Super Taikyu - ST-2 | KTMS | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 22* | 1st‡* | |
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | DC | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | TGR-DC Racing School | FUJ1 1 | FUJ1 2 | SUZ1 1 | SUZ1 2 | FUJ2 1 | FUJ2 2 | SUZ2 1 | SUZ2 2 | SUG 1 | SUG 2 | AUT 1 | AUT 2 | MOT 1 | MOT 2 | 6th | 120 | |
| 2023 | TGR-DC Racing School | FUJ1 1 | FUJ1 2 | SUZ1 1 | SUZ1 2 | FUJ2 1 | FUJ2 2 | SUZ2 1 | SUZ2 2 | SUG 1 | SUG 2 | AUT 1 | AUT 2 | MOT 1 | MOT 2 | 1st | 221 |
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)