Toyota star Takamoto Katsuta has led the drivers’ calls for fans to listen to the marshals during this week’s Rally Poland.
The Mikołajki-based event hasn’t featured on the WRC calendar since 2017 and a contributing factor in that absence were concerns over containing the high number of fans attending. Back on a single-season agreement with WRC Promoter, Thursday morning’s shakedown was interrupted while the organisers dealt with a spectator-related incident.
Katsuta told DirtFish: “I saw many, many fans. We all need to respect the speed. From the driver side, of course, we are respecting it, but also spectator side, you need to understand, like, anything can happen. Even when the drivers are doing well, sometimes something can break, some big rock on the road and the car can go somewhere else than you expect.
“When you have this with 180kph (112mph), even on the straight, lots can happen. I think it’s not only here [in Poland], but all the spectators and fans need, sometimes, to respect that anything can happen and leave space for emergencies.”
Katsuta is one of the sport’s most popular drivers and, much as he wants to see the fans on event, he’s urged them to stay safe in Poland
Katsuta’s team-mate Elfyn Evans added: “Obviously, we know the reasons why we haven’t been coming [to Poland], so it’ll be interesting to see if those issues can be put aside again this year. In terms of atmosphere and the rally itself, it’s brilliant, but it’s in everybody’s best interest to have a safe rally.”
M-Sport’s Adrien Fourmaux admitted that, even when he’s fully focused on the road ahead, the number of fans was not hard to spot at shakedown.
“I’ve noticed there was a lot of spectators in the stage this morning,” said the M-Sport team leader, “which is good, but it has to stay sensible all the time. I just ask the spectators to stay quite a way from the road, but also stay steady and not be drinking too much.”
