His running in Brazil and Abu Dhabi showed everyone that he is in fact F1 material, as he scored his first points in the series in only his second race. Additionally, his aggressive racing style caught the eyes of most teams in the championship. At the end of the season, Toyota decided to quit the sport, but the Japanese sponsors seized the opportunity and announced massive backing for the driver that will represent the nation in the 2010 F1 championship.
These constant changes regarding his future in single-seater racing – at one point, he revealed to the media that he would return to his native Japan and work in his father's restaurant unless he'll get a job in F1 – led Kobayashi to believe that luck is a big part of one's future.
“I must admit that it is difficult to believe how much things changed from one moment to another. I was quite surprised myself. I was lucky and I am very, very happy. But with hindsight it is difficult to say what happened. Sometimes, luck and circumstance decide your future,” said the Japanese driver, who sealed a racing spot with Sauber F1 Team in the meantime.
During the first testing session of the winter in Valencia, Kobayashi was one of the drivers to impress the most, alongside his more experienced teammate Pedro de la Rosa. The Japanese driver scored the 3rd fastest time of last week's testing, being the closest to drop under the one minute and 12 seconds mark except for the two Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa.
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