Home Hero Status: Takamoto Katsuta holds second in championship as series heads to Japan
Takamoto Katsuta and his Tyrone co-driver Aaron Johnston navigated a “rollercoaster” Rally de Portugal to secure vital points, ensuring Takamoto maintains a strong second place in the drivers’ championship as he prepares for the ultimate home-coming in Japan.
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Thursday: The Strategy Gamble
The rally opened with a unique Thursday afternoon gravel loop. Takamoto and Aaron started second on the road, a position usually destined for massive time loss due to road cleaning. Surprisingly, the gap remained small. Taka’s take: “I expected to lose more time with our road position, but it hasn’t been so bad. At the same time, I haven’t had a great feeling behind the wheel so far.”
Friday: Searching for the Sweet Spot
A risky setup choice designed to counteract their road position didn’t quite deliver the intended results on Friday’s seven stages. They ended the day in seventh, trailing the leaders but gathering data. Taka’s take: “This morning I was still struggling with the feeling… we tried to change what we could on the car setup in the remote service and the afternoon was better.”
Saturday: Mud, Ruts, and Resilience
As the rain turned the Portuguese stages into a “mini Kenya,” Takamoto’s experience in rough conditions began to show. He spent the day hunting down Adrien Fourmaux, closing the gap to just 11.5 seconds by the Saturday night halt. Taka’s take: “Today was overall better… It was a bit like Kenya in places with the mud and the standing water, but we made it through quite cleanly.”
Sunday: The Final Push
The final day was one of attrition. While teammates Seb Ogier and Sami Pajari suffered cruel late-stage punctures, Takamoto and Aaron stayed composed to cross the finish line in fifth overall.
The result is crucial. It protects Takamoto’s second place in the championship, leaving him 12 points clear of Oliver Solberg and just 12 points behind the lead.
Taka’s take: > “Together with the team we were able to make improvements and the feeling got much better during the weekend, but it was difficult to catch up to those ahead of us. In the end, we could score some decent points. Now I’m really looking forward to my home event, Rally Japan.”
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