Kobayashi ‘confident’ about the future

Kamui Kobayashi is feeling confident about his future in Formula One despite Sauber only confirming Nico Hulkenberg for next season…

Kamui Kobayashi is feeling confident about his future in Formula One despite Sauber only confirming Nico Hulkenberg for next season.

The team announced on Wednesday that Hulkenberg would be taking Sergio Perez’s place at Sauber next season but did not say whether Kobayashi would stay on as the German’s team-mate.

But despite the lack of clarity regarding his future, the Japanese driver believes he will be in Formula One next season

“We have to work hard to get next year’s seat and I’m pretty confident for my seat, for sure,” he said.

“We need to focus for the rest of the three races, but we don’t have many [options for] seats [left] so this is also another big question.

“I will try to focus on both together, for results and also to get a seat at another team or the same team, I don’t know.

Pressed as to why he was confident, Kobayashi said: “It’s a feeling! Actually I have nothing, but it’s just a feeling. I can’t explain it but I think it’s better.

“We will have to see, we still have the last three races and if we have some good results maybe something can happen. I believe and I try to focus. The feeling for next year is just feeling.”

Kobayashi’s feelings, though, have been boosted by positive talks with potential sponsors which would go a long way towards securing the Japanese GP podium finisher’s future.

“I think after Suzuka that Japan is more interested in motorsport and especially Formula One. I think if we have a little more time we can find more sponsors from Japan and after Suzuka we had a lot of contact from a couple of companies.

“It’s very difficult to judge what I can talk about, because I’ve not decided a team and I don’t know the budget so I have no idea.

“This is a very difficult moment but I think in a little moment I can find quite a lot of sponsors and definitely we see a lot of good signs after Suzuka. My preference is to bring a sponsor from Japan to make F1 more popular in Japan.”