Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi will make his debut in Formula E at the first race weekend of the season, driving for MS&AD Andretti. He will get behind the wheel on the 2nd an 3rd of December in Hong Kong. 

Kamui Kobayashi has spent the last year in World Endurance car, racing for Toyato Gazoo Racing as well as racing in the Super Formula Championship for KCMG. However in less than three weeks time, he will have his first experience of all electric racing.

He will partner Antonio Felix Da Costa as the Japanese racer joins the MS&AD Andretti team. They will race together on the streets of Hong Kong for the first race of the 2017/18 season.

Kobayashi is a name known by motorsport fans across the world, namely for his five seasons in Formula 1. He began racing for Toyota, in 2009, before moving to Sauber a year later. After three seasons with them, he took a year out of the sport, before returning to race with Caterham in 2014.

Kobayashi is currently sitting 7th in the Japanese Super Formula championship and 5th in the WEC championship, with each series only having one race weekend left.

“[It won’t be] an easy thing to be honest, but the team has been giving me all the support,” Kobayashi commented, clearly aware of the big challenges ahead.

But the team’s CEO, Michael Andretti seemed confident in his new driver. “He has shown what he can do in both Formula One and WEC, making Formula E a perfect next step.”

Feature image credit: “Kobayashi to Join MS&AD Andretti for HKT Hong Kong E-Prix“