Katsuta Bids Emotional Farewell to Rally1 Era in Finland

Rally Finland 2026 will be remembered as one of the most dramatic events in WRC history. Amid heavy rain and legendary fast corners, the event also marked the end of the Rally1 era in Jyvaskyla. Takamoto Katsuta was one of the most affected by that loss.

Katsuta, driving a Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, admitted that racing in Finland is always a unique challenge. Despite many top drivers crashing, including his teammates Sebastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans, Katsuta was not surprised. "We all knew this was going to be a difficult rally. Estonia has similar, very fast roads, but you don't normally see top-level drivers crashing there. Then you come here and it gets crazy," he said.

According to Katsuta, the difficulty of Rally Finland lies in the extreme speeds that demand full commitment from drivers. "You have to attack enough or you're not fighting for anything. This is one of the most challenging rallies and it requires huge commitment. That's exactly why I like this rally so much," added the Japanese driver.

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However, Katsuta's weekend in Finland did not go according to plan. He dropped out of the fight for victory early in the event, and Saturday's heavy rain ended his chances of challenging at the front. Even on the final Power Stage, he hit a tree head-on but managed to continue and finished sixth overall.

Despite his difficulties, Katsuta still enjoyed one thing: the speed of the Rally1 car on Finland's legendary roads. But there was sadness because WRC's technical regulations will change for 2027, and the current Rally1 cars will not compete in Finland again. "That was actually the only thing I could enjoy. Luckily, we still have three or four rallies left. We can still enjoy the sound of these fantastic cars," he said.

Katsuta feels a great loss because he cannot drive this car in Finland anymore. "It's a real shame that we can't drive this car in Finland any more. You experience so much emotion, adrenaline and excitement here. I believe the spectators feel the same when they watch these cars from the outside," he expressed.

Amid the transition to a more cost-effective new era of WRC, Katsuta hopes the emotion and spectacle of Rally1 cars will not be lost. "I hope we can keep this kind of feeling in the WRC. Unfortunately, next year could be a little difficult, but in the longer term I hope we can somehow get back towards this," he hoped.

Katsuta's wish list for the future of the World Rally Championship is clear: "More manufacturers, more competition and more of this kind of feeling. That would be the best combination. Let's see what happens."