Crowd-favourite Japanese driver, Takamoto Katsuta is placing survival over speed as he seeks at least a podium finish at the WRC Safari Rally Kenya 2026.
Speaking after Thursday’s Shakedown, the Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT star admitted it’s vital to tread carefully on the terrain given the heavy rains pounding the region.
“It’s a very different type of rally, more managing and endurance rally, so you just need to keep your eyes on the bigger picture,”
Katsuta said; “The idea is to survive and that’s important for this rally.”
Heavy rains have turned some parts of the route into a muddy slog.
“It’s very tricky now, with the rains, the stages are very different, but we are well prepared,” Katsuta added after finishing seventh in the shakedown.
He backed the GR Yaris machine to deliver a sixth-successive Safari Rally crown.
“I’m enjoying every condition, every rally in this car this year.
“Of course, I will try my best when I come to Kenya but it’s a long weekend, still early days, for now we just keep going. The car is strong enough and I really appreciate how the team prepares it,” he emphasised.
Katsuta is lying third in the driver’s championship ahead of the Safari Rally and he is aiming for another strong performance in Kenya.
“Our engineers are working very hard, same as our drivers, sharing information when it’s needed; So, I think this has helped us perform well as a team. I’m very proud of the team effort and I will try my best more than last year.”
