Reported
Katsuta's WRC title hopes diminish after Rally Finland
Takamoto Katsuta's World Rally Championship title hopes have significantly diminished after a challenging Rally Finland, despite two WRC wins.
Takamoto Katsuta, driving for Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT, has experienced a challenging 2026 World Rally Championship season, with his title aspirations significantly impacted by recent performances.
Title Prospects Recede
Katsuta currently sits third in the drivers' championship standings, trailing his team-mate Elfyn Evans by 41 points. This substantial gap has emerged despite Katsuta securing his first two career WRC victories earlier in the season. A difficult Rally Finland at the beginning of August proved to be a significant setback, allowing Finnish driver Sami Pajari to move ahead into second place in the championship standings.
With only four rounds remaining in the 2026 season, Katsuta's ability to challenge for the overall title is diminishing. He has acknowledged the challenging situation, suggesting that while the championship lead is distant, the battle for second place remains intense. His next opportunity to improve his standing will be at Rally Paraguay later this month, where road position is expected to play a crucial role in the event's outcome. Katsuta indicated that the fight for second place in the standings is particularly close, stating, “It’s going to be a really tight fight. The lead is already a little bit far away, but second place in the championship is very close now. Everyone is close together, so every point matters from now on”, according to RallyJournal.
Pajari's Ascent to Second
Sami Pajari, also competing for Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT, has demonstrated strong form throughout the season, elevating him to second in the drivers' championship with 171 points. This places him above Katsuta, who holds 160 points. Pajari's recent success at Rally Finland, where he secured his second top-class victory, was a pivotal moment in the championship. Katsuta openly congratulated his team-mate and co-driver, Marko Salminen, on their performance, despite his own challenging weekend. Katsuta expressed his pride and happiness for Pajari and Salminen, noting, “Sami is really strong now, so big congratulations to him. I had a really bad weekend, but I’m very proud of him and really happy for him and Marko”, according to RallyJournal. Salminen previously served as Katsuta's co-driver, adding a personal connection to Pajari’s success.
Championship Standings Tighten
The current WRC drivers' championship standings reflect a close contest behind the leader. Elfyn Evans leads with 201 points. Sami Pajari is second with 171 points, followed by Takamoto Katsuta with 160 points. Oliver Solberg holds fourth place with 156 points, and Sébastien Ogier is fifth with 139 points. Lappi is twenty-fifth with 25 points. This tight grouping ensures that the remaining four rounds of the season will feature intense competition for podium positions and championship runner-up spots. Every point will be critical for the drivers contending for the top positions in the final standings. Katsuta emphasized that “every point matters from now on”.
Status And Sources
This story is labelled Reported, which means a newsroom we cite carries this but the people involved have not confirmed it. The rules behind those labels are in the editorial policy, and the desk that published it is Sanni Koskela.
Written from the following reporting. Each link goes to the newsroom's own page, not to an aggregator:
- RallyJournalrallyjournal.com
