Former World Rally Championship driver Kalle Rovanperä is ‘proud’ of Takamoto Katsuta after he clinched his first WRC victory at Safari Rally Kenya.
Rovanperä was Katsuta’s team-mate at Toyota for six seasons from 2020-25, but has decided to pursue a career in single-seaters from 2026.
Rovanperä and Katsuta are close friends as well as former team-mates, and the 2022 and 2023 world champion was watching the Safari Rally from home, remarking he was more nervous watching than when he was driving himself.
“[I’m] really happy to see Taka get his win,” Rovanperä said. “It was super exciting to watch the last day and I was definitely much more nervous myself than probably when I was driving or fighting for wins myself, so it just tells how excited I was and how important it was for me also personally, being with Taka for many, many years in the good moments but also the bad moments for both of us.
“We have been supporting each other so much and going through all the up and downs, it’s always really emotional to see him get it. Really deserved, especially this year on this year’s conditions. When you get the win on that kind of conditions where you have a struggle to even get through it’s fully deserved and that’s the style of Safari.
“Really well done and happy for him, and now I can’t wait to see Taka to go and celebrate this win hopefully as soon as possible. Really happy and proud of him, really proud.”
Ott Tänak – who has been assisting Katsuta with advice from afar in 2026 – was equally pleased for his former rival.
“I am really proud of you my friend!” Tänak wrote on Instagram. “I know how much this means to you and how much work is behind it.
“First one is in the books and now eyes forward. Well done Taka-san!”
