25 Facts About Takamoto Katsuta

Takamoto Katsuta is a Japanese rally driver who currently competes in the World Rally Championship for Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT.

Takamoto Katsuta achieved his first World Rally Championship podium in the 2021 Safari Rally, finishing in second place.

Takamoto Katsuta finished third in this category overall, and was eventually promoted to full championship driver for 2013.

Takamoto Katsuta experienced great success in 2013, winning two races and finishing second in the overall championship, beating drivers from the likes of Katsumasa Chiyo and future member of the McLaren Young Driver Programme, Nobuharu Matsushita.

Takamoto Katsuta ended up under-performing, finishing 4th in the standings with another two victories.

Takamoto Katsuta began with a Toyota GT86 in the JN-5 class of the Japan Rally Championship.

At the start of his campaign with Makinen and Toyota, Takamoto Katsuta would participate in selected rallies while practicing full-time in Finland, under Makinen's supervision.

Takamoto Katsuta experienced intermediate success in local Finnish rallies, before being supplied with a Ford Fiesta R5 for the Rally Estonia, his first major long-distance rally in FIA-homologated 4-wheel drive machinery.

Takamoto Katsuta failed to finish the event after crashing in the second leg.

Takamoto Katsuta would be rallying in local rallies outside of Finland.

Successes for the two drivers were few and far between, but Takamoto Katsuta would make a name for himself upon taking a class podium at the Rally Italia Sardegna.

Takamoto Katsuta began with a 3rd-place overall finish at the Arctic Lapland Rally, one of the biggest local rallies in Finland.

Takamoto Katsuta won by just 4.5 seconds from Skoda factory driver and then-reigning WRC-2 champion Pontus Tidemand.

Takamoto Katsuta spent 2019 competing in the WRC-2 class with Tommi Makinen Racing.

Takamoto Katsuta managed to win WRC-2 in Chile, but he did not finish three rallies in his campaign and eventually finished the season in 8th.

Takamoto Katsuta got another top class chance in Catalunya, but suffered a transmission problem on Saturday, which resulted in over 50 minutes loss in stage times and penalty for late start.

In 2020, Takamoto Katsuta stepped up to WRC to contest all European rounds of the season.

Takamoto Katsuta started the season with 9th in Monte Carlo and 7th in Sweden.

Takamoto Katsuta then showed promising pace in both Estonia and Sardegna, but crashed out on both occasions.

Takamoto Katsuta crashed on the first stage of Rally Monza, but later returned and won the Power Stage, effectively taking his first WRC stage win.

Takamoto Katsuta finished the season in 13th, with 13 points to his name.

Takamoto Katsuta stepped up to a full-time campaign with Toyota in 2021.

Takamoto Katsuta finished 6th on the first three events in Monte Carlo, Arctic and Croatia and then 4th in both Portugal and Sardegna.

Takamoto Katsuta retired early in Estonia after his co-driver Barritt suffered a back injury on stage 4.

Takamoto Katsuta crashed in Belgium, Finland and Catalunya, but returned to the points with 7th in the season finale in Monza.