Takamoto Katsuta is all-in on trying to win his first World Rally Championship event at home
Photography by Toyota
Words by Luke Barry
The manufacturers’ title is already wrapped; three of its drivers are firmly in contention for the drivers’ prize – 2025 is shaping up to be a perfect season for Toyota.
The only thing missing is a home driver winning its home round of the World Rally Championship next week.
No pressure Takamoto Katsuta. But the Japanese pilot is taking that pressure in his stride, and actually talking up his chances of victory.
“Of course I’m really looking forward to Japan,” he told DirtFish, “and I will give everything there.”
Asked directly if he dared to think about winning the rally, Katsuta smiled: “Of course that’s a target. I think it’s not impossible, I mean I will give everything and I try.”
Katsuta has always performed strongly at his home event
Who’s to say he can’t? We all remember that epic fightback two years ago when a crash into a tree in treacherous conditions left him outside the top-30, but 10 stage wins thereafter vaulted him back up to fifth.
But the 32-year-old highlighted a learning point from Central European Rally that will be key to address in Japan.
“I think the most important thing now is to more understand this tire for me because it seems like it’s not really working so well at the moment for my driving style,” Katsuta explained.
“I had some good stage times but I still don’t think that I’m managing so well with this tire so far. I have to more understand where I can improve and I think I need to use this tire better. It’s not enough. My driving is not suiting so well.
“Basically this powerstage was the first time I drove a full hard [tire] since Canarias, so at least it was quite good to have this kind of feeling before Rally Japan, because at Rally Japan the hard tire will be the main tire,” he added.
“I was killing the tires halfway through so basically on the powerstage. I was not happy that I felt good in the beginning, then I was pushing the tires too much and killing the tires, then I lost a lot of time in the end.
“But like I said, it was good to see like this already before Japan and Japan will be very important for me.”
Katsuta has finished on the podium at home just once, when he claimed third in 2022. Last year he finished fourth.
Words:Luke Barry
Tags: Rally Japan, Rally Japan 2025, Takamoto Katsuta, WRC, WRC 2025
Publish Date November 1, 2025 DirtFish
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