Kamui Kobayashi has thanked his adoring and dedicated fans for their fund raising efforts.
The Japanese driver does not currently hold a seat for 2013, and set up the page "Kamui Support" to ask fans for their help getting him on the grid next season.
It is a stark reminder of how the sport revolves around money. Teams need a driver with both talent and the dosh to push the team forward, which is partly why Kobayashi lost his drive at Sauber.
Nico Hulkenberg is a highly regarded driver with decent sponsorship. Sauber snapped him up to take Kobayashi's spot as team leader. Esteban Gutierrez took Perez's place at the Swiss team, thanks to a strong long term relationship with the team and the saving of the teams sponsorship deal with Mexican giant Telmex.
Kamui simply does not have the funds to race in Formula 1. He obviously has the talent but one thing is missing.
The young gun used Twitter to thank his fans. He said "Thank you for your support from everyone for 'Kamui Support'. Thank you very much.
"As of November 27, the current fund raising total was 65,813,672 yen."
That translates to around £500,000. That amount of money may not get him a seat on the 2013 grid, but if he gets the continued support it would be a rather attractive offering to some of the midfield and smaller teams.
Japan has a huge passion for Formula 1, so to lose their sole driver is a big hit. Despite this, the fans are sticking by the popular racer. Kobayashi discussed talks with another F1 team over the Brazilian GP weekend, but chances look slim.
"We're just waiting for some money to come in," said Kobayashi. "We're waiting, we just need a sign. It will be difficult. I'm talking with another team, but it's difficult to say. If I don't talk [to other teams] it means I'm retired."
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| (c) Octane Photographic |
It is a stark reminder of how the sport revolves around money. Teams need a driver with both talent and the dosh to push the team forward, which is partly why Kobayashi lost his drive at Sauber.
Nico Hulkenberg is a highly regarded driver with decent sponsorship. Sauber snapped him up to take Kobayashi's spot as team leader. Esteban Gutierrez took Perez's place at the Swiss team, thanks to a strong long term relationship with the team and the saving of the teams sponsorship deal with Mexican giant Telmex.
Kamui simply does not have the funds to race in Formula 1. He obviously has the talent but one thing is missing.
The young gun used Twitter to thank his fans. He said "Thank you for your support from everyone for 'Kamui Support'. Thank you very much.
"As of November 27, the current fund raising total was 65,813,672 yen."
That translates to around £500,000. That amount of money may not get him a seat on the 2013 grid, but if he gets the continued support it would be a rather attractive offering to some of the midfield and smaller teams.
Japan has a huge passion for Formula 1, so to lose their sole driver is a big hit. Despite this, the fans are sticking by the popular racer. Kobayashi discussed talks with another F1 team over the Brazilian GP weekend, but chances look slim.
"We're just waiting for some money to come in," said Kobayashi. "We're waiting, we just need a sign. It will be difficult. I'm talking with another team, but it's difficult to say. If I don't talk [to other teams] it means I'm retired."
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