Kovalainen was still in contention for victory in the Rally Mikawawan on Saturday evening, but a one-minute time penalty imposed at the end of the opening day dropped the Finnish driver to sixth place. However, on Sunday, Kovalainen made a strong comeback and ultimately secured second place.
“I didn’t do anything special today. I just wanted to bring the car to the finish. I drove very cautiously, especially in the morning, and I didn’t push particularly hard in the afternoon either,” Kovalainen reported, according to the Japanese RallyPlus website.
“The car felt really good, and our pace was at a good level, which bodes well for the next rally. However, it was still frustrating that I didn’t win. Yesterday’s penalty was on my mind even today.”
Kovalainen, along with more than ten other drivers, received a one-minute time penalty for taking the wrong route. In the end, he finished 26.6 seconds behind the rally winner, Norihiko Katsuta. It was a major success for Toyota, as Fumio Nutahara secured a podium lockout for Toyota.
Norihiko Katsuta’s son, Takamoto, is well known from Toyota’s WRC team. The 56-year-old Katsuta last won in the Japanese rally series in April last year at the Kumakogen Rally. In the opening round of this year’s Japanese rally series, he had a “new” co-driver, Takahiro Yasui.
“It has been a long time since our last victory together. The last time I drove with Yasui was 16 years ago, and I was surprised by how much he had improved as a co-driver. He helped me in many ways during the rally, which was very beneficial,” Katsuta commented.
“I also got advice from ‘Taka’. I feel like I’m even faster now.”
In the Rally Mikawawan, Kovalainen set a total of four fastest stage times. The same feat was achieved by Osamu Fukunaga, who finished fifth, and Hiroki Arai, who lost ten minutes as early as the second stage. The rally winner, Katsuta, recorded two fastest stage times.
The next round of the Japanese rally series, Tour de Kyushu in Karatsu, will take place in mid-April. In total, the Japanese rally series consists of eight rounds this year, with the season concluding in October.
Rally Mikawawan results:
| POS | Driver | Car | Time |
| 1. | Norihiko Katsuta | Toyota | 54:42.1 |
| 2. | Heikki Kovalainen | Toyota | +26.6 |
| 3. | Fumio Nutahara | Toyota | +30.7 |
| 4. | Takuma Kamada | Skoda | +58.0 |
| 5. | Osamu Fukunaga | Skoda | +1:45.7 |
| 6. | Keisuke Yamada | Toyota | +3:32.8 |
