Kobayashi’s kart and Liuzzi’s special helmet for Japan

2011 Japanese GP Thursday pictures

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Japan’s only F1 driver Kamui Kobayashi put on a show for fans at the track on Thursday as he took to the track in a box car built to look like his Sauber F1 racer.

Vitantonio Liuzzi also made a gesture to the Japanese fans, wearing a special helmet in memory of those who died in the tsunami earlier this year.

Here are pictures from Thursday at Suzuka.

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Images © Ferrari spa/Ercole Colombo, Renault/LAT, Getty Images/Red Bull, Force India/Sutton, Sauber F1 Team, Team Lotus, Motioncompany

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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50 comments on “Kobayashi’s kart and Liuzzi’s special helmet for Japan”

  1. I love this.

    1. Anyone has videos of this?

      1. @F1andy83 I guess the BBC will do a bit of a feature on Kobayashi so it will probably feature there.

  2. That kart’s gonna put Formula One cars to shame :)

    1. @scuderiavincero I wonder if this counts as one of their straight-line aero test days?

    2. Looks like last year’s HRT with a high nose!

      1. @Keith Collantine Hahaha! Well it certainly wouldn’t be a young driver test :)

        @Fer no.65 Which would you drive for a week, the kart, or the HRT? :P

      2. Its probably faster then last years hrt too

    3. We miss Sato!!

      1. I don’t…..

  3. Great pictures!

  4. I want that kart.

  5. Nice to see Sauber doing something enviromentally friendly. That’s a proper green inline-4 engine.

    1. Not sure that rear wings legal though ;)

      1. Rear wing they were running in Australia? ;)

  6. The Sauber mechanics are all wearing @Magnificent-Geoffrey bandanas! :P

  7. Liuzii’s helmet is gorgeous

    Kobayashi’s kart looks something like what a baby Stig would learn to drive in.

    I’ve noticed Bianchi at Ferrari a lot which is understandable given that for a lot of the year the GP2 circus follows the bigger F1 circus about but he seems to be at home in the F1 spot-light which would be great if he was in F1 or had done something to prove he was deserving of a seat :P I’m just kidding as I actually am a big fan of Jules.

    1. So @steph do you think he will replace Massa next year? ;-)

      1. @Dobin100 of course not. No-one ever will! ;)

      2. Bianchi think most likely to drive for Ferrari in the future, personally would like Kobayashi in there but certainly not next year Steph forbid that :D

    2. I don´t like Tonio´s helmet…

      Here is Seb getting a Daruma as a gift… is really cool. Painted like his 2010 Japan´s helmet
      http://tinyurl.com/3jedq2a

      And here is his helmet desing for Japan
      http://tinyurl.com/62ggkxr

      1. I love Liuzzi’s! Gonna have a look at Seb’s now…

      2. There’s a Chinese/Japanese character, 绊, written on it, interesting. It is short for 羁绊.

        In Chinese, the term actually means hinder, obstacle, to trip up. Which is why I was surprised Vettel chose that character at first.

        However, a quick search is telling me that when the Japanese adopted this term, the meaning was changed. In Japanese, it means strong “connections” or “relations” between two entities. That makes a lot more sense.

        I seem to remember his helmet last year said “Gives you wings” in Japanese..

        1. I think Red Bull site said that it read “Kizuna” (or something like that) that means “bonds”.

  8. Sauber have bought some interesting updates for Japan I see ;)
    And Liuzzi’s helmet looks quite nice :)

  9. Interesting, the force India and HRT team mascots directly represents how good they have performed this year isn’t.

  10. Wow I need that kart!

  11. Japan is always great. I hope there would be something good in Korea either.

  12. I don’t like Liuzzi’s helmet a tiny bit.
    What the hack are those matriosk-esque objects with FI and HRT names on them?

    1. They are called Daruma. They are like dolls. You paint one eye and made a wish or set a goal.

      Once the wish or the goal has been reached you paint the other eye.

      Is based on the idea that you promise the Daruam his eye if he help you with your wish…

      1. So they actually might turn out to be the single biggest performance improvement for HRT so far.

        1. lol maybe…

  13. OmarR-Pepper (@)
    6th October 2011, 18:49

    I don’t get if there’s a potato painted in red or something like that in the Force3 India pic… So nice on the Luzzi’s helmet

    1. I think every driver has been given a little mascot like that. I can’t see how that one represents force India in any way though

    2. It’s not a potato painted in red nor a mascot. It’s a traditional Japanese one-eyed doll called Daruma. When you receive this doll you make a wish. If that wish is fulfilled, then you paint the other eye too.

  14. I see liuzzis helmet has the new metal strip above the visor that’s being tested. I’m not sure I like it for looks but I guess we’ll get used to it.

    Is the strip mandatory for all drivers or not as it doesnt look like vettel has it on his new design

    1. @mcmercslr First i’ve head about that, what’s it all about?

  15. This interview of Rubens Barrichello indicates that kimi’s William deal is almost certain or decided. He sounds really helpless for a guy who will celebrate 20 years if he stays in the sport next year.

  16. Haha! Jarno Trulli shaves his legs!

  17. Oops, I think there might be a spelling mistake in the title…

  18. Also, Kobayashi is wearing what is likely to be his Japan helmet.

  19. These budget cuts are getting out of hand…

  20. Liuzzi’s helmet looks great!

  21. They are surely running some sort of Mechanical or electronical help I think it is the PSS “Push start system”.

  22. Has nobody noticed that Vettel looks positively girlish in the seventh photo?

    :P

  23. Liking the new gallery layout. Alonso needs a bleedin haircut.

    1. @Spawinte You sound just like his mother, when she told him to have a shave during the pre-season!

  24. Very strong contender for helmet-of-the-season there from Liuzzi.

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