One 12 months in the past, Takamoto Katsuta’s world was collapsing round him.
He’d gone toe-to-toe with Esapekka Lappi for the lead of Rally Sweden, then buried his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1. He was in bits, verging on tears when talking to the media as soon as he’d returned to the service park.
12 months later, his temper couldn’t have been extra completely different. Beaming from ear to ear, you’d suppose he’d received the rally. He hadn’t – however he’d scored a serious victory in his improvement as a rally driver.
As blissful as Katsuta was, Toyota group principal Jari-Matti Latvala might need been happier. His younger Japanese cost lastly demonstrated the form of tempo, from begin to end and with out error, that his group wants from its common third driver.
“Taka did the efficiency that we’ve been somewhat bit ready for to occur,” Latvala advised DirtFish.
“In direction of the tip of final 12 months, after Chile, you possibly can see there was a change inside Taka and now he had a special strategy.”
