GP2 news
"I'm champion!"
27 April 2009Fourth place in the race was all Kamui Kobayashi needed to take the title in Bahrain on Saturday after his main championship rivals had dropped out of contention. On a weekend where the Toyota F1 team claimed its first one-two on the grid, their Japanese test driver was delighted to have claimed the GP2 Asia series title for the DAMS team.
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| Kobayashi is congratulated by Jérôme d'Ambrosio, eventual runner-up |
"Job done!" said a triumphant Kobayashi, 22. "It feels great, really! That's what really mattered. It's important to show that you can be quick and take risks but, in the end, my job is to take the title. Now we have another step with the main Series. It's another target and another challenge, I can't wait." With the Asia Series' second season now over, the main series will begin on Spanish Grand Prix weekend in less than two weeks' time.
"I am not one to feel pressure, because otherwise I may not be as competitive," the Japanese driver continued, who won two races en route to the Asia title. "But it is true that I felt some pressure in Shanghai because I was quickest the week before - during the test on that same track - and then it was not so good. I was second in qualifying and that was a big shock as we thought we would be on pole position easily, but it was Rodriguez who was quickest. However, starting from P2, I knew I still had the chance to win the race. I made a good start, pushed and took the lead, but then I made a mistake in the last stages which was another big shock! I told myself that I would never make that mistake again."
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| Kobayashi's next target is the GP2 main series title |
Despite that low moment, Kobayashi clinched the title with a race to spare at the weekend, with the battle for runner-up spot being decided on Sunday. "I was leading the championship by then, and that's when I felt another wave of pressure because I realised that I could really do it," he recalled. "I should get as many points as possible in order to win the championship. Mistakes were not an option at that point otherwise it would have been too difficult to come back.
"I made it. DAMS did an amazing job in the Asia Series and it puts us in a really good position for the main series. This is really incredible and I am very, very happy. Of course, I'm disappointed to have finished fourth when I started from pole position, but I have achieved my goal - I'm champion!"
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