Takamoto Katsuta and co-driver Aaron Johnston made history on Sunday by securing an emotional maiden FIA World Rally Championship victory at Safari Rally Kenya.
On his 94th WRC start, Katsuta became the first Japanese driver to win a WRC round since Kenjiro Shinozuka triumphed at the Ivory Coast Rally in 1992. The result is especially poignant for Katsuta, coming at the same African event where he scored his first WRC podium back in 2021.
The foundations for Katsuta’s historic triumph were laid during a weekend of extreme attrition that decimated much of the Rally1 field. The decisive moment came on Saturday morning across the notoriously demanding Sleeping Warrior stage and its subsequent road section.
Up to that point Toyota Gazoo Racing had commanded a 1-2-3 lockout, but the Safari terrain soon exacted a heavy toll. Championship leader Elfyn Evans was the first to fall, retiring mid-stage with terminal rear-right suspension damage. Minutes later the rally was turned on its head on the liaison back to the Naivasha service park when rally leader Oliver Solberg succumbed to a clutch failure and team-mate Sébastien Ogier’s charge was halted by an electrical problem.
Starting Sunday’s final leg with a 1min 25.5sec advantage, Katsuta resisted the temptation to chase stage wins. Instead he carefully managed the rough terrain of Oserengoni and Hell’s Gate to secure victory by 27.4sec.
“I don’t know what to say,” said an emotional Katsuta. “We have had so many difficulties and moments. Aaron has worked very hard to work with me. The team always believed in me when I was failing all the time. I’m here because of them and Aaron.”
Among those present to witness the historic moment was Kenyan President William Ruto, who personally presented Katsuta with the winner’s trophy at the finish.
Adrien Fourmaux delivered a composed drive to secure second overall and claim the 10th WRC podium of his career. The Frenchman and his Hyundai Motorsport team-mates battled severe overheating issues across the weekend.
Despite suffering a high-speed tyre failure on Saturday which caused significant bodywork damage and cost around five minutes, Pajari guided his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 safely through the remaining stages to secure back-to-back podium finishes.
Hyundai’s Esapekka Lappi finished fourth after a difficult rally battling heavy understeer and several punctures, while Robert Virves guided his Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 to the WRC2 victory and an impressive fifth place overall.
While Katsuta managed his overall lead, Solberg, Ogier and Evans returned under restart rules on Sunday and fought an intense battle for Super Sunday and Wolf Power Stage points. Solberg responded strongly to Saturday’s disappointment, winning the Wolf Power Stage by 2.8sec over Ogier to claim the maximum haul.
Despite retiring from second overall on Saturday, Evans’ pace on Sunday means he retains the drivers’ championship lead on 66 points.
The championship switches to asphalt next month with the return of Croatia Rally, based on the Adriatic coast, from 9 – 12 April.
Rally Classification:
1. T Katsuta / A Johnston JPN Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 3h 16m 05.6s
2. A Fourmaux / A Coria FRA Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +27.4s
3. S Pajari / M Salminen FIN Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +4m 26.1s
4. E Lappi / E Mälkönen FIN Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +6m 07.3s
5. R Virves / J Viilo EST Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 +11m 38.7s
6. G Greensmith / J Andersson GBR Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 +12m 09.0s
WRC Drivers’ Championship (After round 3 of 14)
- E Evans 66pts
- O Solberg 58pts
- T Katsuta 55pts
