Irrespective of the 12 World Rally Championship rounds that precede it, Takamoto Katsuta always arrives home to Rally Japan under pressure.
Pressure born from the expectation of a nation. Pressure he places on himself to perform. And, as it turns out, pressure to foster a growth of rallying’s popularity in his home country.
Katsuta has already been in Japan for a good while performing PR activities for Toyota and various partners, but took some time out to speak to the world’s media ahead of next week’s season finale.
The major takeaway is Katsuta’s using the pressure to fuel him, not bury him. After a brilliant Central European Rally, where he came back off the bench from Rally Chile, the confidence is back. The Japanese is thriving, and seems ready to produce the goods both for himself, and for his team, at Rally Japan.
Using pressure positively
Katsuta is thriving under the pressure he's under in Japan - largely thanks to a confidence-boosting CER
“Yes, of course I start to feel pressure always, as always, but this rally is a little bit more than other rallies for sure,” Katsuta opens.
“Yeah, and especially now the situation for the team is very, very… let’s say you easily feel the pressure because of the championship. But obviously I just try to do my best, and last year I felt quite a good feeling with the car and everything went well, except the one mistake. So this year, I just try to make it happen.
“I really wanted to make it last year. Unfortunately I couldn’t make it, so this year I need to start step by step, bit more steady. especially if it’s raining. But like, not like too much pressure. It’s like a kind of good pressure.”
Perhaps he wouldn’t have said the same had CER not gone the way it did. Katsuta barely put a foot wrong as he finished fourth overall and scored a full 12 points from Super Sunday – of particular importance given Sébastien Ogier’s exit on the penultimate stage.
Having turned around his sliding form, Katsuta approaches Japan with a positive mindset and knowledge of what not to do in pursuit of a dream victory.
“Everything is possible,” he says, “but as you know this year also that I made a bit too many small mistakes, then I was already out in the beginning of the rally. So I think the most important thing is that especially in the beginning of the rally, I try to see the situation and how everybody going and then I try to be a bit similar than Central Europe Rally, let’s say.
Could a home win be on the cards for Katsuta in Japan?
“But of course I need to a bit more risks in the beginning and try to use my performance in some stages where I feel confident. And there are a few new stages as well, so it will be challenging, but I’m still hoping that I can perform well like last year.
“So I just need to avoid that kind of let’s say a small mistake, but big mistake like last year.”
Katsuta does himself a slight disservice there as he was basically helpless to avoid hitting the three that he did last year. But his rally-winning speed is a major sign of encouragement heading into 2024’s instalment of Rally Japan.
As was spending some time at the racetrack, watching some of his old rivals perform well.
“I have been some spectating some racing last weekend and I have met a lot of my old rivals and they were doing very well, of course,” Katsuta shares.
“And this is kind of motivation, another extra motivation for me.”
What is Katsuta’s job in Japan?
Unlike Hyundai which can win both world titles, no Toyota can win the drivers’ title for the first time since 2018. But that does somewhat simplify things for the team, as it can throw all of its energy into the manufacturers’ race.
It trails Hyundai by 15 points ahead of Japan, and will field a lineup of Ogier, Katsuta and Elfyn Evans next week.
Katsuta doesn't intend to back off, but says he won't take as many risks as his team-mates
So what does Taka do? Does he sit back and let his two team-mates push on, or charge on himself?
“It’s a very important rally for the team and for myself,” Katsuta acknowledges. “Of course, the easiest way is just pushing a lot and winning the rally. This is best way, but it’s not that easy, of course. And there is a lot of fast drivers and difficult condition if it’s raining especially.
“The rally is long, so I don’t want to make similar mistake to what I have done this year, especially, you know, at the beginning of the rally and small mistake. It’s a bit stupid to make same thing especially in this last rally, so I think for sure there will be no team orders but one thing that’s a bit obvious is that I need to stay in the fight until the end.
“I cannot, how do I say, do something stupid in the beginning and go out somewhere else. Nobody is hoping for this. So I will just focus on my own job and do my best – a little bit reducing the risk in some places, some corners, some sections probably, but other sections where I feel confident, definitely I need to push and I will push.”
In another answer, Katsuta suggests it will be up to Ogier and Evans to push on without consequence, describing their situation as “a little bit different”.
He says: “For sure if it’s easier conditions, like if it’s dry condition and sun is shining, it’s going to be easier for everybody. But if it’s rain, anything can happen like last year. So need to like steady a bit, especially in the beginning, a few stages at least.
“So yeah, this is at least my position of the approach for Rally Japan, because for sure Seb and Elfyn is a little bit different, different situation. And, I mean, they will go to take some risk.
“I will take a risk as well for sure but still I need to see how everybody is going and especially my team-mates, but like you said I feel quite confident and good feeling from the car and from the all like atmosphere in the team, so now I just try to focus for preparing well like the pacenotes and everything.
“And yeah, let’s see in shakedown how I feel in the car.”
Katsuta’s other responsibility
Once the helmet’s strapped up and he’s belted into his GR Yaris Rally1, Katsuta’s only focus is on everything he’s just talked about – delivering the result he and Toyota need for the championship.
But out of race mode, it’s enlightening to hear him talk so openly about trying to grow the sport of rallying in Japan.
It’s no longer the country he calls home (Katsuta has lived in Finland since 2015), but Katsuta cares deeply about inspiring the next generation and increasing the awareness of local people – something he says all motorsport has struggled with in Japan.
“I am always trying to do my best, this has never changed, but in Japan Toyota and myself are also trying to make rallying and motorsport more popular in Japan,” he says.
Katsuta feels responsibility, along with Toyota, to help grow motorsport in Japan
“So, I feel kind of pressure and also kind of responsibility of this job to make it more popular for the future in Japan, about the motorsport. So this is why I feel quite, I don’t know how to say, it’s pressure, but I’m really excited. You know, it’s nice pressure.”
Katsuta says motorsport is “still far away” from benefiting from widespread popularity in Japan, but he’s relishing the challenge.
“For example baseball and football, it’s very, very popular. And also golf and tennis players. There are some famous players but never been many famous drivers from the motorsport,” he explains.
“So yeah, this is also kind of a big task for us to make it more popular. Like I said, not only rallying and also Formula 1 but some other racing drivers are trying very hard to do many events.”
The Toyota Stadium superspecial returns to the itinerary this year having debuted last year, and Katsuta believes stages like that are crucial in this objective – pointing to his own example watching what used to be the old Hokkaido-based Rally Japan when he was a youngster on the racing, not rallying, ladder.
“I still remember when I went to Rally Hokkaido for the first time ever in my life, there was a similar stage, like two cars at the same time. That moment I did not know about the rally regulation or any rules, but still I enjoyed a lot because you can see which car was quicker and which car was slower.
“And, you know, you can see the whole stage as well. So I think this kind of stage is very important for the… especially in Japan, there are not so many local people who know about rallying yet.
Katsuta's already got a podium in Japan, but he's been dreaming of climbing higher
“So just need to show what kind of car is going and you can feel the excitement from the cars and the engine sound and everything. And this is why, in my personal opinion, this kind of stage is very, very important.
“And at the same time, I feel a bit more pressure than other stages because I want to show some good driving and a good show for my Japanese fans.”
The ultimate way to boost rallying’s popularity would be a Katsuta win. That wouldn’t do his own career any harm either!
Rallies aren’t won in the press room, but Katsuta’s never looked readier than he does now. The self confidence (and assurance) is back, and on the evidence of both his answers and driving in CER, he has learned the lessons Toyota wanted him to when it elected to sit him out of Chile.
Because rallies aren’t won on the first day, or the first stage, either.
Perhaps next week really is the time Katsuta can make that dream rally win at home a reality.
“Of course, I’m always dreaming about it. When I started rallying, it was 2015. Already I was dreaming, of course, but now it’s not just there, but not too far away anymore.
“So of course it’s never easy, but that’s also one of my targets and also my dream. So I try to do everything, to give everything to make it happen, that dream.”
