Kobayashi admits he no longer has any chance of staying in F1

Kamui Kobayashi has stated that he will not be in F1 in 2013 despite its budget obtained through fans' donations reaching 8 million euros.

After losing his seat at the Clean which he preferred Esteban Gutierrez and Nico Hulkenberg, Kobayashi hoped to get a seat on another competitive team like the Force India and had appealed to his fans to put together a significant budget. But with only the seats Force India, Caterham and Marussia left vacant – and with certain drivers vying for them – Kobayashi admitted his chances for 2013 are nil.

“I was able to get a budget of 8 million euro, if you think about the short time I had and the great reaction I got you can understand how this shows that there is still a lot of potential from Japanese companies” wrote the Japanese pilot in a message on his website.

“Unfortunately, time was short and I was unable to secure a competitive seat in F1 for 2013. I have to admit, it's very sad, and I feel sorry for the fans and the Japanese companies who supported me. But I'm still confident that I can return in 2014."

“I should stop the donations for now and while I will save all the money for 2014 I will start looking around to consider the best option for 2013 and also for 2014. My priority is to secure a seat in a competitive team for 2014".

“I have no interest in other categories. I will make an announcement as soon as possible regarding 2013. So, hang in there and show your support for next year too.”

Kobayashi had asked his fans to help him obtain funds to obtain a seat, and thanked those who contributed and helped to revive (albeit in vain) his situation.

“I appreciate that many of you have donated or tried to donate. I have to say that since the donations started, this was seen as a big event in Japan. And this support of yours influenced some Japanese companies who started supporting me."

Stefano Rifici