Takamoto Katsuta and co-driver Aaron Johnston delivered a landmark moment in their careers on Sunday after clinching their first victory in the World Rally Championship at the legendary Safari Rally Kenya.

The triumph came on Katsuta’s 94th WRC start and ended a 34-year wait for a Japanese driver to win a WRC round since Kenjiro Shinozuka triumphed at the Ivory Coast Rally.

For Katsuta, the victory was particularly special as it came at the same event where he achieved his first WRC podium in 2021.

Driving for Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT, Katsuta capitalised on a chaotic weekend that saw several front-runners fall victim to the punishing Safari terrain.

The rally’s turning point came on Saturday morning during the demanding Sleeping Warrior stage and the road section that followed. At the time, Toyota held a commanding 1-2-3 lead before disaster struck.

Championship leader Elfyn Evans was forced out with major suspension damage after hitting trouble mid-stage. Soon after, rally leader Oliver Solberg dropped out on the road section to service due to clutch problems, while eight-time world champion Sébastien Ogier was also sidelined with an electrical issue.

Those retirements elevated Katsuta into the lead heading into the final day with a comfortable advantage.

On Sunday, the Japanese driver resisted the urge to push for stage wins, instead focusing on safely guiding his car through the rough and technical Oserengoni and Hell’s Gate stages. His careful approach paid off as he crossed the finish line to claim victory by 27.4 seconds.

An emotional Katsuta credited his team and co-driver for the breakthrough moment after several challenging seasons in the championship.

Kenyan President William Ruto was among those present at the finish and handed Katsuta the winner’s trophy.

Behind him, Adrien Fourmaux secured second place for Hyundai Motorsport after a steady drive through a rally that proved extremely demanding on both cars and crews.

Young Finnish driver Sami Pajari finished third overall despite suffering a high-speed tyre failure on Saturday that caused significant bodywork damage and cost him several minutes.

Esapekka Lappi ended the rally in fourth place after battling multiple issues including understeer and punctures throughout the event.

In the WRC2 category, Robert Virves impressed by winning the class and placing fifth overall in his Škoda Fabia RS Rally2.

Although they retired earlier in the rally, Oliver Solberg, Sébastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans returned under restart rules on Sunday and battled for valuable bonus points. Solberg claimed victory in the final Wolf Power Stage, finishing 2.8 seconds ahead of Ogier.

Despite his earlier retirement, Evans remains at the top of the drivers’ championship standings with 66 points.

The championship now moves to the Croatia Rally from April 9–12 as the WRC season switches to asphalt.

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