Katsuta struggled during the summer’s gravel rallies, leading to his benching for the Rally Chile. This break allowed him time to recharge and reflect on strategies to improve his performance.
Two weeks ago, Katsuta returned to Toyota’s Rally1 car at the Central European Rally. He had clearly learned from his past mistakes, delivering an impressive performance throughout the weekend.
The Toyota driver steadily increased his pace, and on “Super Sunday,” he was the fastest driver in the field. Katsuta finished fourth overall, earning 22 points for Toyota – the same tally as Hyundai’s Ott Tänak, who won the rally.
In three weeks, Katsuta will face even greater pressure at his home rally in Japan. Toyota is 15 points behind Hyundai in the manufacturers’ championship, making a top performance essential to claim the lead. A standout result is also expected from Katsuta, who will drive Toyota’s third car in the rally.
See the current WRC standings here.
Before the Central European Rally, there was speculation that Toyota might bring Kalle Rovanperä to the tarmac rally in Japan. This would have allowed Katsuta to compete without the stress of securing manufacturers’ points.
Immediately after the Central European Rally, however, it was confirmed that Rovanperä would not be competing in Japan.
“I knew that I would be driving for the manufacturers’ points there, so there will definitely be pressure in Japan. But in this rally, the situation was similar,” Katsuta said to RallyJournal.com after the Central European Rally.
Katsuta assured that he’s prepared for the tough challenge ahead.
“This rally was even more difficult because I was coming back. If I had made a mistake or crashed, I could have been in even deeper shit,” noted the Toyota driver.
The nature of Rally Japan suits Katsuta well. He’s from the same region, so he’s familiar with the local conditions.
In 2022, Katsuta finished third in his home country, and last season he came fifth. A year ago, he recorded the most stage wins in the event, but a top result eluded him due to an off-track incident.
This time, he’s determined to secure a top performance on his home roads.
“There will definitely be a lot of pressure in Japan, but it should be easier (than the Central European Rally),” Katsuta concluded.
