KATSUTA IS KING OF KENYA WITH MAIDEN WIN FOR TGR-WRT
On Sunday, March 15th, the final day (Day 4) of the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) Round 3, the “Safari Rally Kenya,” took place starting in Naivasha, Kenya, and the moment we had been waiting for finally arrived. Endless, a partner in supplying brake parts, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team (TGR-WRT)’s Takamoto Katsuta and Aaron Johnston (GR YARIS Rally1 car #18) has finally achieved its first WRC victory!
Sami Pajari and Marko Salminen (car No. 5), who entered from the TGR-WRT2, secured third place overall.
Oliver Solberg/Elliott Edmondson (car #99), who restarted the race after retiring the previous day, finished 10th overall, Sébastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (car #1) finished 11th overall, and Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (car #33) finished 13th overall.
Day 4, the final day of the Safari Rally Kenya, was contested over a total distance of 57.40km, consisting of four runs (two of each) of two classic stages, “Oselengoni” and “Hell’s Gate,” in the area south of Lake Naivasha.
With his teammates, who had been competing for the lead, retiring on day 3, Katsuta ‘found himself in the lead position in the rally. He entered Day 4 with a lead of 1 minute 25.5 seconds over Adrien Fourmaux (Hyundai), who was in second place overall, and 4 minutes 45.8 seconds over Pajari, who was in third place overall. Having built a substantial lead over the rest of the field, Katsuta prioritized consistency in his driving. The final stage, SS20, Hell’s Gate 2, is a power stage where bonus points are awarded. Katsuta completed this stage in the ninth fastest time, beating Fourmaux, who was in second place overall, by 27.4 seconds to achieve his first WRC victory.
Even for those of us who watched each driver’s run live, this stage, which was a little over 10km and lasted a bit more than 5 minutes, felt very long. In this year’s grueling Safari Rally, where hitting even one hidden rock could send your long-awaited first victory slipping through your fingers, you couldn’t let your guard down until the very end. We were glued to the screen, practically praying to God for the victory. As they rounded the final corner and crossed the finish line, the long-awaited moment arrived. This was the moment everyone wanted to see. And for the Katsuta-Aaron duo, it was the moment they emerged from a long, long tunnel.
Congratulations to the driver, co-driver, engineers, mechanics, team crew, and everyone who has supported them and the team.
But we at Endless having continued to support them, know this too. This is a new beginning, and their next goal is to reach even greater heights. It may be a long road ahead, but Endless will continue to face the tough battles together with the team, driver, and co-driver.
The next WRC event is the “Croatia Rally,” which will be held in Croatia from April 9th to 12th. This event, which was first held as a WRC event in 2021, will be held again after a two-year hiatus.
Please read the details on the team’s official web site :
https://toyotagazooracing.com/wrc/