Takamoto Katsuta has won the Safari Rally Kenya 2026, securing his first ever title in the World Rally Championship after a strong and steady performance across the tough Kenyan stages.
Driving for Toyota Gazoo Racing and guided by co-driver Aaron Johnston, the Japanese driver finished the rally 27.4 seconds ahead of the competition to seal a historic victory.
The win ended several seasons of close calls for Katsuta and lifted him to second place in the championship standings. He now sits only three points behind current leader Elfyn Evans, whose rally ended early on Saturday after suspension damage forced him to retire.
The rally was not easy for Katsuta at the start. Heavy rain during the opening Camp Moran stage caused his intercom to fail, leaving him without pace notes from Johnston.
A puncture on Friday also pushed him down to seventh place overnight. Despite these setbacks, he stayed calm and adopted a careful approach on the rough gravel stages on Saturday, gradually moving up the leaderboard as other drivers encountered problems.
Katsuta eventually took control of the rally after several leading drivers dropped out. Evans suffered two punctures on Stage 12 which damaged his rear suspension before it completely failed on the next stage.
At the same time, rising star Oliver Solberg and eight time world champion Sébastien Ogier also ran into mechanical problems, opening the door for Katsuta to take the lead.
2026 FIA World Rally Championship / Round 03 / Safari Rally Kenya 2026 / 11th-15th March 2026 // Worldwide Copyright: TGR WRT / McKlein
From that point, the Toyota driver managed the pace well and avoided major mistakes to secure the win.
“I don’t know what to say. We have had so many difficult moments,” said Katsuta.
“Aaron has worked very hard with me and the team always believed in me even when things were not going well.”
France’s Adrien Fourmaux finished second, giving Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT its first podium result of the season, while Toyota youngster Sami Pajari took third place despite losing more than five minutes earlier in the rally after a tyre explosion and another puncture.
Esapekka Lappi finished fourth after driving cautiously through the demanding stages, while the 2025 champion Thierry Neuville retired after suffering three punctures in a single stage.
In the WRC2 category, Robert Virves of Estonia claimed victory on his first appearance in Kenya, finishing ahead of Gus Greensmith and Fau Zaldívar, with Andreas Mikkelsen ending the event in fourth place.