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Rikuto Kobayashi

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Rikuto Kobayashi
NationalityJapan Japanese
Born (2005-07-01) 1 July 2005 (age 19)
Yamagata Prefecture, Japan
Super GT - GT300 career
Debut season2024
Current teamCarGuy MKS Racing
Car number7
Former teamsapr
Starts8
Wins0
Podiums0
Poles0
Fastest laps0
Super Formula Lights career
Debut season2024
Current teamTOM'S
Car number38
Starts21
Wins3
Podiums13
Poles2
Fastest laps3
Best finish2nd in 2024
Previous series
202223F4 Japanese Championship
Championship titles
2023F4 Japanese Championship

Rikuto Kobayashi (小林利徠斗, Kobayashi Rikuto, born 1 July 2005) is a Japanese racing driver and sim racer currently competing in Super Formula Lights and Super GT. A member of the TGR Driver Challenge Program, Kobayashi won the F4 Japanese Championship in 2023.[1]

Career

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Formula 4

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Kobayashi started his formula racing in 2022 at F4 Japanese Championship with TGR-DC Racing School as a part from he got TGR-DC RS Scholarship Driver[2] He ended up finish 6th in the standings. He continued to compete for the 2023 season, and he won the title ahead of Jin Nakamura and Yusuke Mitsui. On 30 May 2023, Toyota Gazoo Racing announced that Kobayashi took part in WEC Challenge Program training session for young drivers who are deemed to have a future in the Le Mans 24 Hours. He participated and experienced firsthand how WEC drivers and engineers take on the challenge of Le Mans.[3]

Super Formula Lights

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Following his Formula 4 championship victory, Kobayashi stepped up to Super Formula Lights with TOM'S alongside Jin Nakamura.[4] He managed to be the runner-up in the season, only lose out to the eventual champion Syun Koide, but he beats Seita Nonaka.[5] Kobayashi stayed for another season with TOM'S.[6]

Super GT

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GT300

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Kobayashi also will make his debut to compete in Super GT - GT300 with apr, as he partnered with Hiroaki Nagai and Manabu Orido.[7] He was planned to Saitama Green Brave as the team's third driver for 2025 season, but he was announced to compete with the new team, CarGuy MKS Racing which will race with Ferrari 296 GT3 alongside Zak O'Sullivan.[8][9]

Esports career

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For 2021, Kobayashi raced in TOYOTA GAZOO Racing GT Cup where he claimed 3rd in the series.[10] He also competed in Gran Turismo World Series Showdown.[11] He is also part of the Virtual Drivers by TX3 eSport Team, on the Gran Turismo roster.[citation needed]

Racing record

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Career summary

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Season Series Team Races Wins Poles FLaps Podiums Points Position
2022 F4 Japanese Championship TGR-DC Racing School 14 1 2 1 2 120 6th
2023 F4 Japanese Championship TGR-DC Racing School 14 5 5 3 9 221 1st
2024 Super Formula Lights TOM'S 18 3 2 3 11 86 2nd
Super GT - GT300 apr 8 0 0 0 0 0 NC
TGR GR86/BRZ Cup Nine with ARN RACING 2 0 0 0 0 0 NC
Macau Grand Prix TOM'S Formula 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 12th
Super Taikyu - ST-2 KTMS 5 3 1 1 4 124‡ 1st‡
2025 Super Formula Lights TOM'S 3 0 0 0 2 10 3rd*
Super GT - GT300 CarGuy MKS Racing
Super Taikyu - ST-X apr

* Season still in progress.
‡ Team standings

Complete F4 Japanese Championship results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 DC Points
2022 TGR-DC Racing School FUJ1
1

8
FUJ1
2

5
SUZ1
1

15
SUZ1
2

8
FUJ2
1

7
FUJ2
2

5
SUZ2
1

4
SUZ2
2

5
SUG
1

3
SUG
2

7
AUT
1

5
AUT
2

DNS
MOT
1

1
MOT
2

6
6th 120
2023 TGR-DC Racing School FUJ1
1

1
FUJ1
2

3
SUZ1
1

2
SUZ1
2

4
FUJ2
1

1
FUJ2
2

1
SUZ2
1

33
SUZ2
2

5
SUG
1

6
SUG
2

22
AUT
1

1
AUT
2

3
MOT
1

2
MOT
2

1
1st 221

Complete Super GT results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 DC Points
2024 apr Toyota GR86 GT300 GT300 OKA
23
FUJ
22
SUZ
19
FUJ
18
SUG
21
AUT
19
MOT
19
SUZ
20
NC 0
2025 CarGuy MKS Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 GT300 OKA
FUJ
SEP
FUJ
SUZ
SUG
AUT
MOT

Complete Super Formula Lights results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Pos Points
2024 TOM'S AUT
1

2
AUT
2

8
AUT
3

3
SUG
1

7
SUG
2

3
SUG
3

5
FUJ
1

6
FUJ
2

1
FUJ
3

5
OKA
1

3
OKA
2

Ret
OKA
3

3
SUZ
1

3
SUZ
2

1
SUZ
3

4
MOT
1

2
MOT
2

1
MOT
3

2
2nd 86
2025 TOM'S SUZ
1

3
SUZ
2

Red
SUZ
3

3
AUT
1

AUT
2

AUT
3

OKA
1

OKA
2

OKA
3

SUG
1

SUG
2

SUG
3

FUJ
1

FUJ
2

FUJ
3

MOT
1

MOT
2

MOT
3

3rd* 10

* Season still in progress.

Complete Macau Grand Prix results

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Year Team Car Qualifying Quali Race Main race
2024 Japan TOM'S Formula Tatuus F3 T-318 23rd 21st 12th

References

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  1. ^ "Kobayashi beats fellow Toyota junior Nakamura to Japanese F4 title". formulascout.com. 5 November 2023.
  2. ^ "TOYOTA GAZOO Racing announced its 2022 motorsport team setups". Toyota Gazoo Racing. 6 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  3. ^ CORPORATION, TOYOTA MOTOR. "TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WEC Challenge Program: | RELEASE | WEC". TOYOTA GAZOO Racing. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  4. ^ "Honda confirms Iori Kimura's place on 2024 Super Formula grid". formulascout. 19 January 2024. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  5. ^ Allen, Peter (2 December 2024). "Koide seals Super Formula Lights title in convincing fashion". Formula Scout. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  6. ^ "TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Presents its 2025 motorsport team setups in Japan". Toyota Gazoo Racing. 25 December 2024. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  7. ^ "Saitama Toyopet Gets New Lineup Amid Toyota Reshuffle". sportscar365.com. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  8. ^ Klein, Jamie (21 January 2025). "Rasmussen Lands Lexus GT300 Drive After JOTA Exit". Sportscar365. John Dagys Media. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  9. ^ Hirano, Ryuji (16 March 2025). "CARGUY MKS RACINGが2025年スーパーGT参戦体制を発表。オサリバン&小林利徠斗の超強力体制に". AutoSport Web. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  10. ^ "Straight Talk from e-Motorsports Top 3 Drivers 2020". Toyota Gazoo Racing.
  11. ^ "Rikuto Kobayashi: Gran Turismo's next Superstar?". .overtake.gg. 9 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
[edit]
Sporting positions
Preceded by F4 Japanese Championship
Champion

2023
Succeeded by