Takamoto Katsuta finds himself in the pressure cooker of his home rally, admitting he feels “very nervous” about making a costly mistake as Toyota fights to snatch the manufacturers’ crown from Hyundai at Rally Japan.
With reigning world champion Kalle Rovanperä sitting out the season finale, Toyota entered the event 15 points adrift of Hyundai, relying on Sébastien Ogier, Elfyn Evans, and Katsuta to turn the tide. But after Ogier suffered a two-minute setback changing a puncture, and Katsuta himself losing time due to a tire coming off the rim, the stakes have grown even higher for the Japanese driver.
Currently in fourth place, just 0.1 seconds behind M-Sport’s Adrien Fourmaux, Katsuta’s performance could be critical to Toyota’s slim hopes of victory.
“Fear of Mistakes Holding Me Back”
Katsuta, who dazzled fans in last year’s Rally Japan by dominating 10 of the 17 special stages, admitted his 2024 performance has been hindered by fear of mistakes. His season has been plagued by crashes while in podium contention in Sweden, Portugal, and Greece.
“Last year when I was pushing like hell, I was enjoying it a lot,” Katsuta said. “This year, when I try to drive safer, it gives me a safety feeling, but then I lose rhythm and confidence. It’s a tricky balance.”
The Battle for Third Place
As Rally Japan heads into Saturday, Katsuta remains laser-focused on reclaiming third place from Adrien Fourmaux, a move that would earn Toyota three valuable points and narrow Hyundai’s championship lead to 13 points.
“It’s not going to be easy [to beat Fourmaux], of course, but I still believe that our package has what it takes to catch him,” Katsuta said. “I just need to deliver a good job.”
While Katsuta is cautious, he recognizes that the stakes demand pushing hard. “I still hope I have the pace when I push,” he added.
Toyota’s Last Stand
With Elfyn Evans leading the charge in second place, Toyota must rely on a clean and aggressive performance from Katsuta to offset Ogier’s time loss and put more pressure on Hyundai. The gap between the teams could come down to mere points, making every second on the stage crucial.
As Katsuta balances the weight of championship hopes and the expectations of a home crowd, one thing is clear: Toyota’s title dreams hang in the balance.
