
Kobayashi has only contested six races in Japan's premier single-seater series since the start of the 2020 season, the first to be held since the onset of the global coronavirus pandemic.
A combination of his commitments in the FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and Japan's strict entry rules amid the global coronavirus pandemic kept the former Sauber and Caterham F1 driver away from all but one Super Formula race last year.