Takamoto Katsuta admits that Rally Japan will be a totally new event for him despite the fact that it is his home event and that his tarmac confidence with the Yaris has been built since Ypres Rally Belgium.
Rally Japan will be finally held this weekend after a two-year cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will return to World Rally Championship after a 12-year absence from the WRC calendar. However, this year version will be very different to the previous ones as the surface of the stages will be tarmac instead of gravel.
Sebastien was the latest winner of Rally Japan as he won this gravel rally back in 2010 when he was competing with a Citroen C4 WRC while Petter Solberg and Jari-Matti Latvala completed the podium.
Last but not least, it must be mentioned that Taka lives in Finland the recent years and has competed most of the time in Finnish Championship than the Japanese one before he started his WRC2 debut.
"I think almost all of the stages are new for me", Katsuta said.
"Only two stages, maybe five kilometers or something is the same as Central Rally, which I did with a World Rally Car.
"Otherwise, totally new.
"It’s gonna be very challenging for me as well.
"I have not much experience!
"I’m Japanese but I live in Finland and we don’t have so much information about Japanese stages.
"It can be tricky.
"I’ve been building the confidence since Ypres to here for the Rally Japan.
"Of course, Rally Japan is going to be very different type of rally but at least my Tarmac driving feeling is now very good and I have confidence.
"I will do my best of course and I will enjoy the Japanese roads".
Source: DirtFish.com
Photo Credits: Toyota
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