Last year, Katsuta showed impressive speed in Japan’s tarmac rally. However, he ruined his chances for a top position early in the race when his Toyota spun on a rain-soaked road and collided nose-first with a tree.
Katsuta was able to continue but suffered significant time loss due to a damaged radiator.
The Japanese driver eventually recorded ten stage wins in the rally—far more than any other driver—and finished in fifth place.
“Last year we had kind of mixed conditions with rain at the beginning of the rally, but at the end of the week it was more of a mixture of dry and wet. Still, the stage times were quite good compared to Thierry (Neuville) and other drivers,” Katsuta recalled on the WRC’s official website.
This season, Katsuta has only had one notable success, a second-place finish at the Kenyan Safari Rally in March. Since then, the Toyota star has faced tougher times and was ultimately left out of the Rally Chile.
Katsuta made a strong return to the Rally1 car a few weeks ago at the Central European Rally, where he finished fourth and earned the second-highest points haul of the weekend.
“Before the Central European Rally, I was quite nervous when I heard there was going to be rain. But in this moment, I am really happy even if it’s wet or dry – I really don’t mind and I will just try to do my best. My mental condition at the moment is quite good so hopefully it stays like this until the rally,” Katsuta reflected.
Last year, Katsuta aimed for victory in Rally Japan. This time, his approach is somewhat different.
Katsuta has a strategy in mind similar to the one he used in the Central European Rally. Rallies are rarely won at the very beginning of the event—and Katsuta has learned that lesson the hard way.
“We need to start step-by-step, a bit more steady, especially if it’s raining. Everything is possible, but this year I have made too many small mistakes and I was already out (of contention) in the beginning of the rallies,” Katsuta said.
“But of course I need to take a bit more risk in the beginning and try to use my performance in some stages which I feel confident. There are a few new stages as well, so it will be challenging but I am still hoping that I can perform well like last year. I just need to avoid those kinds of mistakes like last year.”
Rally Japan takes place next week, 21-24 November. Hyundai driver Neuville will attempt to secure his first world championship title at the event, while Hyundai and Toyota battle it out for the manufacturers’ championship in the season finale.
