Kazuki Nakajima (中嶋 一貴, Nakajima Kazuki, born January 11, 1985) is a professional racing driver who drove in Formula One for the Williams-Toyota team from 2007 to 2009. Racing for Toyota Gazoo Racing since 2016, he won the 2018 and 2019 24 Hours of Le Mans, and is 2018-19 World Endurance champion along with team-mates Fernando Alonso and Sébastien Buemi. He is the second FIA world champion from Japan after Toshi Arai.

Racing career

Before Formula One

Born in Okazaki, Aichi, Nakajima is the son of the retired Formula One driver Satoru Nakajima. His younger brother, Daisuke, is also a racing driver. Nakajima started his career in racing in 1996, when he started karting. Three years later, he was crowned the Suzuka Formula ICA karting champion. After some impressive performances, Nakajima was picked up by Japanese car manufacturer Toyota as part of the corporation's Young Drivers Program. His father had been backed by Toyota's arch-rivals Honda through his career. Nakajima hoped that by joining Toyota he would shield himself against any accusations that his father had promoted his career.In 2002, Nakajima won a scholarship in Formula Toyota, which he became champion in a year later.