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Kamui Kobayashi underlined his status as a Formula 1 fan favourite by winning the AUTOSPORT.com Rookie of the Year Award at the AUTOSPORT Awards this evening.

Kobayashi defeated fellow F1 rookies Vitaly Petrov and Nico Hulkenberg, plus GP2 stars Jules Bianchi and Sam Bird, and World Rally convert Kimi Raikkonen, in the Rookie voting.

Having tantalised F1 with two spectacular appearances for Toyota at the end of 2009, the Japanese driver lived up to his promise in his first full season with Sauber this year.

As well as taking eight points finishes, Kobayashi thrilled with a series of bold overtaking moves, including a last-gasp pass on Fernando Alonso's Ferrari in Valencia, and a string of late-braking dives in his home race at Suzuka. He stays on with Sauber for 2011.

"I think there's always a chance of overtaking," said Kobayashi as he accepted his award from Le Mans legend Derek Bell. "For me this is quite normal. Racing should be exciting, so when you overtake, it's more exciting. It's not easy to overtake, and in an F1 machine it's really difficult."

Asked which of his passes this year he regarded as his finest move, Kobayashi concluded: "Taking Alonso in Valencia was very good."