Over the last couple of seasons, Katsuta has elevated his performance, and just last week in Kenya, he secured his fifth podium finish. Now, he aims for the top step. However, Katsuta acknowledges that it won’t be easy.
“In some stages I back off a little bit too much. Ups and downs are still bit too big. But if you look the top drivers and when they are backing off, it’s not too much,” Katsuta reflected.
“It’s only a few seconds and they know how much they need to back off. So this is definitely what I need to be aiming for in the next step. Then after that, it’s probably possible to take victories.”
In the WRC’s top class, there aren’t many competitors, but the battle for victories is fierce. To emerge as a winner, he must outpace the likes of Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville and Ott Tänak, as well as Toyota’s Elfyn Evans. Moreover, his part-time teammates Kalle Rovanperä and Sebastien Ogier also throw their hats into the ring.
“Because any of the top six drivers can win at any time. So it’s never easy to beat them. But of course, I need to try, and I need to improve, and I want to be there. So that’s the next step.”
“I think everything is always connected, like the car’s performance and the driver’s mentality. But I must say that the team is working hard, and that helps us.”
The WRC series continues on the Croatian tarmac in a couple of weeks.
