Motorsport TechnologyTakamoto Katsuta made World Rally Championship history by becoming the first Japanese driver for 34 years to win a stage event with victory in Safari Rally Kenya.
Making his 94th WRC start, Katsuta certainly benefitted from the misfortune of others as the tough desert conditions decimated the field.
Championship leader Elfyn Evans retired mid stage with right rear suspension damage before Oliver Solberg and Sébastien Ogier retired with clutch and electrical problems respectively.
It all meant that Katsuta began Sunday’s final leg with a 1min 25.5sec advantage and drove with controlled precision to take an historic 24.7s victory from Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux and the Toyota GR Yaris of Sami Pajari.
“I don’t know what to say,” Katsuta is quoted on the official WRC website. “We have had so many difficulties and moments.
“Aaron has worked very hard to work with me. The team always believed in me when I was failing all the time. I’m here because of them and Aaron.”
With victory, Katsuta becomes the first Japanese to triumph since Kenjiro Shinozuka won the Ivory Coast Rally in 1992.
It means that Evans still leads the championship standings by eight points from Solberg but Katsuta now moves to third just three points adrift of second.
Racing resumes with the return of Croatia Rally from 9 – 12 April.
