Katsuta proved last season, if not before, that he excels in fast rallies. He impressively finished third on the gravel roads of Central Finland.
Last year’s Rally Sweden was a disappointment, but from the season before, Katsuta has a fourth-place finish in the Swedish snow to his name.
The Japanese driver had the opportunity to test for two days at Toyota’s own testing ground in Central Finland before the rally.
“Last year, I had pretty good speed in Sweden so I hope we can perform well again and get a good result also,” Katsuta says.
“This event is always a big challenge and there will be some fast drivers including Kalle (Rovanperä) starting behind us on the road, so it will not be easy to fight for the top positions. But I will try to push hard and do the maximum that I can.”
Snow conditions suit Katsuta well. Living in Jyväskylä, the Japanese driver received his first driving lessons in Finland, making snow a familiar element for him.
“Rally Sweden is always an exciting rally and it’s one of my favourite events on the calendar. Driving on snow and ice is something I have really enjoyed since I started rallying in Europe with the TGR WRC Challenge Program.”
Rally Sweden kicks off with a shakedown on Thursday morning. The race, starting from Umeå on Thursday evening, features a total of 18 special stages, covering approximately 300 kilometres.
