Toyota appoint Kobayashi as F1 reserve driver

LONDON (Reuters) - Japan's Kamui Kobayashi will replace France's Franck Montagny as Toyota's test and reserve driver next year, the Formula One team said on Friday.

The 21-year-old has been backed by the Japanese car giant since 2001 as part of their young driver programme. Montagny said farewell to the team this week after his final test in Barcelona.

Another Japanese driver to have emerged from the programme, Kazuki Nakajima, will be racing for Toyota-powered Williams next year.

"He (Kobayashi) tested the car last winter and showed he had the potential to drive in Formula One in the future," said Toyota team boss Tadashi Yamashina in a statement.

Toyota are still seeking a replacement for Germany's Ralf Schumacher, who left at the end of the season last month, alongside Italian Jarno Trulli in their 2008 race lineup.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Clare Lovell)