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Takamoto Katsuta finally secured his first victory in the World Rally Championship after years of near misses, winning the demanding Safari Rally Kenya 2026 in dramatic fashion. The Japanese driver, alongside co driver Aaron Johnston, delivered a determined and patient performance to claim victory by 27.4 seconds and write his name into the history of the championship.
Driving for Toyota, Katsuta overcame several setbacks during the rally weekend before emerging as the surprise winner. Adrien Fourmaux finished second to give Hyundai its first podium of the season, while Sami Pajari completed the podium in third place after another consistent performance similar to his result earlier in the season.
Despite the victory, Katsuta remains third in the championship standings. However, the win significantly reduced the gap to championship rivals Oliver Solberg and series leader Elfyn Evans. Both drivers were forced to retire on Saturday, which allowed Katsuta to capitalize and collect valuable points. Evans still holds an eight point lead over Solberg in the standings, with Katsuta just three points further behind. Fourmaux sits 19 points off the championship lead.
The rally did not begin smoothly for Katsuta. Heavy rain during the opening stage at Camp Moran created difficult conditions and an intercom failure left him unable to hear the crucial pacenotes from Johnston. The challenges continued on Friday when a double puncture dropped him to seventh place overnight.
However, Saturday marked the beginning of a remarkable comeback. Katsuta adopted a cautious and controlled approach on the rough stages, steadily climbing up the leaderboard to fourth place. His steady pace proved crucial as trouble began to strike the leading drivers.
Evans, who had been running third, suffered two punctures on stage 12 which weakened the rear right suspension of his car. The damage worsened on the following stage and ultimately forced him to retire, ending a run of reliability that had lasted since 2024.
At the front of the rally, Solberg had been leading ahead of Sébastien Ogier. However, both Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 cars encountered mechanical problems on the road section back to service. Alternator issues affected both cars, while Solberg also suffered a transmission problem. Their setbacks suddenly promoted Katsuta into the rally lead.
From that moment, Katsuta maintained his composure and carefully managed the remaining stages. Remarkably, he secured the overall victory without winning any of the rally’s 20 stages. The result makes him only the second Japanese driver to win a WRC event after the late Kenjiro Shinozuka.
The emotional impact of the victory was clear at the finish. Katsuta struggled to stand during the end of stage interview and instead sat down on the roll cage of his car while speaking.
He thanked his team, family and co driver Johnston for their support during difficult periods in his career. Katsuta also acknowledged the encouragement he received from fellow rally driver Ott Tänak, who had been regularly contacting him and offering advice throughout the rally.
Behind the podium finishers, Esapekka Lappi adopted a careful strategy to finish fourth, choosing survival over speed on a rally that had troubled him in the past. Meanwhile Thierry Neuville retired after suffering a driveshaft problem while battling for position.
The rally also saw several challenges for other competitors. Jon Armstrong managed to finish the event in 15th place despite losing more than 20 minutes after stopping to repair suspension damage and dealing with mechanical issues. Josh McErlean endured an even tougher weekend that included engine overheating, a broken gearbox and significant engine damage which forced him to retire on Sunday.
In the WRC2 category, Robert Virves claimed victory ahead of Gus Greensmith, preventing Greensmith from securing a third consecutive Safari win. Fau Zaldívar completed the category podium while Andreas Mikkelsen narrowly missed out after losing time earlier in the rally.
Overall, the 2026 Safari Rally Kenya once again proved why it remains one of the most demanding and unpredictable events on the WRC calendar, delivering a memorable breakthrough victory for Katsuta and an emotional milestone in his rally career.
