Katsuta expects a “bigger challenge” within the 2025 WRC

Takamoto Katsuta's biggest goal for 2025 is bigger consistency in leads to the World Rally Championship, which he believes might be “a bigger challenge.”

The 31-year-old is preparing for his sixth season with the Toyota factory squad, which is able to expand to 4 full-time players next 12 months. Two-time world champion Kalle Rovanpera will return for the total season after a partial season in 2024, and the team has signed WRC2 champion Sami Pajari, who will join its squad alongside Elfyn Evans.

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Katsuta finished the difficult 2024 season in sixth place within the rankings. Although he showed blistering pace as he battled for victory in Sweden until crashing out and ending second to Rovanpera within the brutal Safari Rally in Kenya, the Japanese also made a variety of costly mistakes that ultimately led to Toyota benching him for September Rally Chile.

However, Katsuta made two impressive runs under enormous pressure on his return to the championship, ending fourth in the ultimate two events of the season in Central Europe and Japan.

These results helped restore confidence, but Katsuta maintains he must work on improving his consistency next season.

“It definitely has to be better than this year, but at the same time I have to be more consistent throughout the season and try to fight for the podium in every rally,” Katsuta told Motorsport.com.

“Of course it could be nice to be on the rostrum in every rally, but with all the highest drivers competing, it's never easy.

“In some rallies, when I actually have good confidence and good performance, I’ll try to offer my best to win, but that shouldn’t be the primary goal.

Takamoto Katsuta and Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Photo: Toyota Racing

“The biggest goal for next 12 months is that I must be more consistent and take a look at to work hard to fulfill the needs of the team. This is the very first thing I want to sort out.

“I actually have to arrange the best plan for after I can push and when I want to ensure that I’ll finish and rating points.

“Next 12 months will certainly be a much bigger challenge when it comes to expectations and so forth.

“It's good that Kalle is back and Sami has joined the team; [Pajari] he's quite a young talent, so I'll definitely learn from him too.

“Obviously I actually have a little bit more experience than Sami, so I don't wish to lose easily, but I actually have to be flexible and learn from him. It's going to be a fun season.”

The 2025 WRC season will begin with the annual curtain raiser in Monte Carlo on January 23-26.

Watch: Autosport magazine's rating of the 50 best drivers of 2024 – 20 to 11