Takamoto Katsuta wasn’t himself in Estonia. In fact, he wasn’t anywhere near himself. We know all about the Toyota driver’s speed. And we know about his smile.
We didn’t see enough of either in Tartu.
But was Katsuta too hard on himself in Thursday’s DirtFish story? When the Japanese told us:
“Now I try to talk to you very honestly,” you did, kind of, wonder what was coming.
“So far,” he added, “this season is very bad for me. I am not happy at all. I should not do like this when you are in a factory car.”
He’s right. But at the same time he needs to cut himself some slack. Let’s think back just over half a year, to that Sunday in Aichi when he was responsible for the raising of the Japanese flag over Toyota City. He can drive. He’s one of the world’s best.
A couple of years ago, understandably, he was there because his face fitted and a Japanese manufacturer needed a Japanese driver.
Today he drives a GR Yaris Rally1 because he’s earned his stripes and his seat. In Top Gun terms, he’s the best of the best. And he wants to be better. That’s what you get with elite-level performance.
Those are my thoughts. But the man who really matters is Toyota president Koji Sato. He’s the big boss. What does he think of Katsuta?
“We really appreciate Taka – and we really like him!” Sato told DirtFish. “Thanks to him for his passion, he is giving us energy and the fans are so excited when they see a Japanese driver in the top category of the World Rally Championship and we’re very proud of that.
“Taka gives us a lot of opportunities to expand the fans in Japan and engage the WRC.”
The message of support and gratitude is the same from Taka’s line manager… team principal Jari-Matti Latvala.
The Finn said: “He did great steps at the end of 2022 season, especially in the last six months, but then we went back a little at the beginning of ’23. The speed was there from Rally Sweden, but then there was an accident. Then we got a little bit in a bad circle with Taka and self-confidence was gone.
“We know he is capable of driving fast, we know his skills, but sometimes when you have many difficult events it starts to eat your self-confidence; you start to doubt yourself: ‘Do I have the skills to drive fast?’
“You start to think: ‘If I do a mistake again, am I going to be a bit afraid?’ And then back in your mind you start to take a little bit ‘back off’ and you take it easier, and I think he has been going through that.”
Let’s be honest, this is not J-ML breaking new ground here. He’s actually the perfect mentor, having been through precisely the same process earlier in his own career.
He added: “I am trying also to help him because I want him to get back in the podium speed and I would like to see him one day fighting for the victory of the event.
“So this is important and we believe in Taka with all our hearts.
“Now, we have been getting a little bit over the difficult period, so there is a couple of now good rallies under the belt so it’s easier to go to Finland.”
