Disappointed to finish second again in Sweden, Katsuta is still aiming for his first WRC victory.

Leader of Rally After the Swedish Rally on Friday evening, Takamoto Katsuta seemed destined for his first World Rally Championship victory. However, suffering from a severe lack of grip on Saturday morning, the Japanese driver was unable to counter the charge of Elfyn Evans, who overtook him before midday and extended his lead in the afternoon.

One second slower than his rival on Sunday, Katsuta had to admit defeat once again, this time against Elfyn Evans who won the snow and ice event for the second consecutive time this season. Toyota Leaving Umeå with an impressive quadruple, "Taka" could not hide his disappointment in front of our microphone, while showing absolute fair play towards his teammate.

“It’s a good result for the team, no doubt about it. I’m really happy for everyone who works at the factory and at the rallies. Everyone deserves it, and to achieve a 1-2-3-4 finish in Sweden is something special. We really enjoyed ourselves in the car, we had one of the best cars, but at the same time I’m really disappointed because I wanted to fight to the very end.”

Furious with Hankook at the stop point of the final stage, the Japanese driver nevertheless admitted that he might not have been able to win even with what he considered more consistent tires on Saturday. Evans' takeover was complete on this penultimate day of the rally.

“On the other hand, even if everything that happened on Saturday hadn’t happened, I don’t think it would have changed the result. Elfyn was very fast, and I also need to improve. I’m happy for the team, well done to Elfyn and Scott, but I need to stay hungry for the next rallies.”

"Attack without taking crazy risks"

Having arrived in Rally1 in 2020, Takamoto Katsuta has sometimes distinguished himself by taking excessive risks, leading to several retirements. However, it is undeniable that the 32-year-old driver has steadily improved behind the wheel of his Toyota Yaris, and he now believes he is fully capable of achieving solid results at every round of the championship, starting with the Rally Kenya, where he usually performs well.

“Sweden and Kenya are among my favorite rallies, yes, so we’ll see what I can do there! We need to keep attacking but without taking crazy risks, to ensure the best possible results for the team. That’s my job and I’m confident I can achieve it.”

Interview conducted by Pierre Barré in Umeå (Sweden).

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