Takamoto Katsuta

In 2015, Takamoto Katsuta joined Toyota’s Challenge programme, which led him to drive for Tommi Mäkinen Racing in Finland and international competitions. Since 2018, Toyota has fully invested in Katsuta to develop him into a successful Japanese driver in the WRC category.

In 2018, Katsuta surprised many by winning the WRC2 class at Rally Sweden. In the first half of 2019, he got a taste of the Toyota Yaris WRC in two Finnish Rally Championship events. Later in the year, he competed in the German and Catalonian rounds of the WRC with the Yaris.

Residing in Jyväskylä, Katsuta competed in five WRC events in 2020 with Toyota’s WRC machinery. The pandemic season was challenging for the Japanese driver, with crashes undermining his confidence. His best result was a seventh place at the season-opening Rally Monte Carlo.

In 2021, Katsuta started strongly, culminating in his career’s first podium finish in Kenya in June, where he impressively secured second place. However, the latter half of the season was less successful for the Japanese driver.

Katsuta had his best season to date in 2022, securing two podium finishes and ending up fifth in the WRC standings.

In the 2023 season, the Japanese competed in five WRC events for manufacturer points. In Japan, he proved his speed by setting the fastest times on nine special stages, demonstrating his ability to compete for victory. His final position in the WRC standings for the season was seventh.

For the 2024 season, Katsuta’s role will further increase as he competes in more events for manufacturer points.