Taka targets speed boost at “special” Rally Finland

The Japanese was pipped to a top-six position in Estonia by M-Sport’s Pierre-Louis Loubet, the Frenchman edging his rival by just three-tenths of a second. Katsuta is determined to do better as he guides his factory GR Yaris Rally1 out of Jyväskylä this week.

“Estonia wasn’t the performance I wanted,” he said. “It was a disappointing rally and I know I need to find and to show more speed. That’s what I want to focus on for Finland this week.”

While Katsuta has a chequered history in terms of results at Secto Rally Finland, living in the event’s host city, he considers it as a second home rally.

“It is a special one,” he said. “It’s one I look forward to. I think of it like my home event – I grew up driving on these roads.

“The speeds are similar to Estonia, but the feeling is totally different, because the grip from the road is usually very high. I want to improve on my speed from the last rally, I want to understand what didn’t work for me in Estonia.

“I will try to enjoy the rally and push as much as I can. It’s important to get a good result for the team, for myself and my family who will be there watching too.”