US EditionIrish Co-Driver Johnston Helps Katsuta to Win in Kenya
- On Sunday, Takamoto Katsuta and Tyrone-born co-driver Aaron Johnston clinched a maiden World Rally Championship victory at the Safari Rally Kenya, marking the first WRC win by a Japanese driver since Kenjiro Shinozuka in 1992.
- Katsuta and Johnston assumed the lead after the 14th stage on Saturday and held it through the remaining stages, building on previous podium finishes in Kenya during 2022 and 2024.
- In his 94th WRC start, Katsuta finished 27.4 seconds ahead of Hyundai's Adrien Fourmaux, with Toyota's Sami Pajari taking third. Fermanagh's Jon Armstrong and Shane Byrne finished 15th; Derry native Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy withdrew after 16 stages due to engine issues.
- Toyota's Elfyn Evans retained the drivers' championship lead after finishing 13th, maintaining his position at the top of the standings as the season progresses.
- The Croatia Rally scheduled for April 9–12 presents the next challenge, with competition on asphalt roads around Rijeka promising fierce contest among drivers competing for championship points.
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Katsuta Conquers Kenyan Safari Rally for Historic Win | Sports-Games
Katsuta Conquers Kenyan Safari Rally for Historic Win Toyota's Takamoto Katsuta emerged triumphant at the Kenya Safari Rally, securing his maiden victory in the World Rally Championship (WRC). This win marks a historic moment as the first victory by a Japanese driver in the WRC since Kenjiro Shinozuka in 1992 at the Ivory Coast Rally.Katsuta, in his 94th WRC start, finished 27.4 seconds ahead of Hyundai's Adrien Fourmaux, with Sami Pajari from T…
Japan's Takamoto Katsuta (Toyota) has won the World Rally Championship in Kenya. It was the Japanese driver's first victory at the highest level of rally competition.
At the wheel of his Toyota, the Japanese driver took advantage of the abandonments of the main favourites to win in very delicate conditions.
The Japanese driver Takamoto Katsuta and his co-driver, Irishman Aaron Johnston, both of the Toyota team, won a historic victory and proclaimed themselves champions of the Rally Safari of the Kenyan WRC this Sunday, in a day in which leaders departed after a chaotic Saturday that limited the options of the three favorites, Solberg, Ogier and Evans. Katsuta did not fail and fulfilled the forecasts that placed him as a great favorite at the end of…
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