Formula 4 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. He finished sixth in the standings. Kobayashi continued to compete for the
2023 season. In a close F4 title battle with
Jin Nakamura, Kobayashi claimed the title by winning the season finale at
Motegi. On 30 May 2023, Toyota Gazoo Racing announced that Kobayashi would take part in the
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.
Super Formula Lights 2024 Following his F4 championship victory, Kobayashi stepped up to
Super Formula Lights with
TOM'S alongside
Jin Nakamura in 2024. After scoring a lone podium each in the opening rounds at
Autopolis and
Sugo, Kobayashi scored his maiden series win from pole position at
Fuji. He finished third twice at
Okayama but also retired from race 2 due to contact caused by
Seita Nonaka. Kobayashi scored two podiums again at
Suzuka, which included an inherited victory in race 2 following a penalty for Nonaka. A strong final round at Motegi, which saw him claim a pair of runner-up finishes and victory in race 2, allowed Kobayashi to vault to second in the championship standings.
2025 Kobayashi stayed for another season with TOM'S in
2025. The season opener at Suzuka yielded mixed results, as a pair of third places sandwiched a transmission failure in race 2. Sixth and fourth followed at Autopolis, causing Kobayashi to have only a third of championship leader
Yuki Sano's points. A trio of podiums at Okayama brought him closer to the title fight, but with only two podiums from the four Sugo races, Kobayashi fell far behind a dominant
Yuto Nomura. Contact with Sano spun Kobayashi out of the points in race 1 at Fuji, and although Kobayashi won race 2 in commanding fashion and finished third in race 3, another strong round confirmed Nomura as the champion. Kobayashi finished second in all three races at the season-ending Motegi event and ended up third in the standings.
Super Formula Kobayashi sampled his first test of a
Super Formula car in December 2024, taking over from series champion
Sho Tsuboi on the final day of the rookie test at
Suzuka. In
2025, Kobayashi made his
Super Formula debut, driving for
Itochu Enex Wecars Team Impul at Motegi. In 2026, Kobayashi will make his full-season debut with
KDDI TGMGP TGR-DC along with
Kamui Kobayashi. == Sportscar career ==