Takamoto Katsuta and co-driver Aaron Johnston have been taken to hospital for precautionary checks following a high-speed crash that forced the cancellation of SS21 at Rally del Paraguay. Both walked away from their second significant incident of the event, but medical evaluation was deemed necessary.
The crash occurred on a fast left-right combination, where Katsuta oversteered on entry, struck the roadside, rolled his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, and came to rest on its side. The stage was immediately red-flagged and later cancelled, with spectators eventually pushing the stricken car back onto its wheels.
“They are both OK,” said Toyota deputy team principal Juha Kankkunen. “The car is completely damaged. But it looked quite strong because it was quite a fast left-to-right hander; he a little bit maybe stepped outside with the rear and the front hit the small roll on the inside, which kicked him to two wheels. There was no space to do anything else.”
With no points from Paraguay, Katsuta's hopes of challenging for the 2026 title are effectively over. This marks his second major crash of the event, underscoring the demanding nature of the rally for the Japanese driver.
A short 10.21km powerstage remains to complete the Rally del Paraguay itinerary. Sami Pajari leads by 26.1 seconds over Hayden Paddon, with Adrien Fourmaux completing the podium positions just 3.8 seconds ahead of WRC points leader Elfyn Evans.
Jon Armstrong retired with accident damage on the previous stage, losing seventh place. His M-Sport teammate Josh McErlean, running sixth overall, is struggling with technical issues and has fallen well adrift of fifth-placed Oliver Solberg.
Read Also
M-Sport alami masalah di Paraguay: Armstrong rusak suspensi, McErlean kendala teknis. Fourmaux naik ke P3, Pajari tetap pimpin reli.
Sami Pajari memimpin WRC Rally Paraguay dengan 26,1 detik atas Paddon, sementara Ogier memimpin Super Sunday. Tiga stage tersisa.
Sami Pajari pertahankan keunggulan di Rally Paraguay setelah SS19, Fourmaux perketat jarak dengan Evans. Sisa tiga etape terakhir.
Continue with Google
Discussion (0)
Join the Discussion!
Sign in easily to start commenting, replying, and interacting with other readers.
Latest Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!