Kobayashi must earn F1 seat

Kamui Kobayashi

(GMM) Team boss Tadashi Yamashina says it is Toyota's "dream" to win the formula one title with a Japanese driver.

Williams' Toyota-backed Kazuki Nakajima aside, the Cologne based team's test driver, Kamui Kobayashi, is the first Japanese driver signed by Toyota since the marque entered F1 in 2002.

Yamashina has high hopes for the 22-year old. "The team is right behind him and hoping that he can become a top driver," he said.

But national pride will not be enough, Kobayashi still having to earn the right to race in formula one. Yamashina confirmed that he will definitely not be getting "preferential treatment" and that the GP2 race winner will "have to work hard and get there on merit".

Having joined the Toyota Drivers Academy program in 2004, Kobayashi first tested for Toyota in 2006 before becoming the teams third driver in 2008.

Racing in GP2 and GP2 Asia alongside his testing duties, he won events in both series against fellow F1 hopefuls Bruno Senna and Sebastien Buemi.