Takamoto Katsuta Explains Sweden Setback in 2026

WRC, Sportrik Media - Takamoto Katsuta has provided a detailed explanation of the issue that he believes prevented him from fighting to the end of Rally Sweden 2026, although it did not ultimately deny him victory. The Japanese driver finished second to team-mate Elfyn Evans for the second consecutive year.

Katsuta had led the Umeå-based event after the first full day of competition, but his challenge faded during Saturday morning’s loop aboard his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 for Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team. At the time, he struggled to understand the sudden shift in car behavior.

“I had no idea what was happening in the morning at that moment. I said to the engineers that something must be wrong on the car because it was a totally different feeling – the car doesn’t turn and there was no grip. It was scary,” Katsuta explained.

Further inspection revealed an unusual loss of studs from one of his tyres, attributed to the pure ice conditions encountered during the morning stages. The reduced stud retention compromised grip and overall confidence in high-speed sections.

“In the end we found something not normal from the tyres. We were missing a lot of studs because of the pure ice conditions in the morning. It was a bit strange. I don’t want to say too much because the guys are working very hard to improve this. But of course it’s painful because I wanted to fight to the end,” he added.

Hankook representative Steven Cho clarified that while some stud loss is typical, the number on Katsuta’s left-rear tyre was above average.

“Typically at the end of a loop it’s not uncommon to see two or three studs missing from a set. On Taka’s tyre the count was around nine or 10. Out of 384 studs, that’s roughly 2.5%. It’s slightly higher than average, but not a significant proportion. Further analysis is needed to determine the exact reason,” Cho stated.

Despite finishing 14.3 seconds behind Evans, Katsuta acknowledged that the outcome may not have changed even without the issue, given his team-mate’s overall pace advantage.

“Even without that, I don’t think the result would change. Elfyn was strong enough and deserved it. I’m very happy for him and for the team. I just need to forget about it and improve my own performance to move forward,” he said.

Katsuta also described Rally Sweden 2026 as one of the cleanest events of his career in terms of execution. In demanding winter conditions, he felt increasingly comfortable with the car and avoided major mistakes.

“For me, this was maybe one of the cleanest rallies. Last year in Finland was good, but this rally was in very demanding conditions and I was super comfortable with the car. No big moments. I think it’s getting better and better – I just need to keep it like this.”

Although his maiden WRC victory remains elusive, Katsuta’s consistency in Sweden reinforces his position among the leading contenders as the 2026 championship heads toward its next challenge.