Kazuki Nakajima was born on 11 January 1985 in Okazaki, Aichi, Japan. He is the son of former Formula One driver Satoru Nakajima. His younger brother, Daisuke Nakajima, is also a racing driver. Nakajima began karting in 1996 and was crowned the Suzuka Formula ICA karting champion three years later. He was selected by Toyota for their Young Drivers Program, winning a scholarship in Formula Toyota in 2002 and becoming champion the following year. He progressed to Japanese Formula Three in 2004, achieving two race wins and finishing fifth in the Drivers’ Championship. In 2005, he finished second in Japanese Formula Three and competed in the Japanese GT300 sports car series, ending the year eighth.
In 2006, Nakajima moved to the Formula Three Euroseries, finishing seventh with 36 points. He was named a Williams test driver in November 2006. In 2007, Nakajima competed in the GP2 Series for DAMS, finishing fifth overall and top rookie, despite receiving a drive-through penalty for a collision with Karun Chandhok in Istanbul.
Nakajima made his Formula One debut for Williams at the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix, finishing tenth and setting the fifth fastest lap. During his first pit stop, he overshot his box and hit two mechanics. He secured a full-time drive with Williams for the 2008 season, finishing seventh at the Australian Grand Prix (later promoted to sixth after Rubens Barrichello’s disqualification) and seventh again in Spain. He scored a point at Monaco, the first for a Japanese Formula One driver at the circuit. He scored another point at the British Grand Prix, finishing eighth. In Singapore, he qualified tenth and finished eighth. Nakajima was retained by Williams for 2009, but struggled to score points, retiring from several races including crashes at Australia and Monaco. He qualified fifth at the British Grand Prix, his highest ever Formula One grid slot, but finished outside the points. He finished the season as the only driver who participated in every race without scoring a point. Williams signed Rubens Barrichello and Nico Hülkenberg for 2010, leaving Nakajima without a seat. He was linked to Stefan GP, but the team's application was refused by Formula One.
After leaving Formula One, Nakajima returned to Japan and won the Formula Nippon championship in 2012 with TOM'S, and again in 2014. He also competed in the Japanese Super GT series from 2005, initially in the GT300 class and later in the GT500 class, scoring multiple wins and podium finishes. In 2012, Nakajima was selected by Toyota for its FIA World Endurance Championship program. At the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans, he collided with the Nissan DeltaWing, causing significant damage to both cars. He won the 2012 6 Hours of Fuji with the Toyota TS030 Hybrid. Nakajima became a full-time Toyota LMP1 driver in 2015. He won the 2018 Le Mans 24 Hours race alongside Fernando Alonso and Sébastien Buemi, and repeated the achievement in 2019. This success led to the team clinching the 2018–19 FIA World Endurance Championship, making Nakajima the second Japanese FIA world champion. He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans again in 2020 with Sébastien Buemi and Brendon Hartley.
Nakajima retired from racing after the 2021 FIA World Endurance Championship. He transitioned to the role of vice-chairman at Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe, with Ryō Hirakawa taking over his seat. Since 2022, Nakajima has served as vice-chairman of Toyota in WEC, winning three consecutive World Manufacturers' Championship titles from 2022 to 2024.
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