Katsuta does not think about the championship and stays focused on himself

Takamoto Katsuta stays grounded after his second consecutive win in World Rally Championship and admits that he is still focusing on himself and not on the championship while he comprehends Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe and Hyundai Motorsport.

The Japanese driver started third on the road on Friday as he was in third position overall on the drivers' standings after the end of Safari Rally Kenya where he claimed his maiden win in World Rally Championship. At Croatia Rally, Katsuta was fighting all the weekend with Thierry Neuville and Sami Pajari for the lead of the event, but he was third on the classification for the most of the rally. Despite his front left puncture in Stage 14, Katsuta managed to moved up to second as Pajari also got a puncture there resulting in dropping more than two minutes and slipping behind his teammate for 19,1 seconds. Katsuta held the second position of Croatia Rally on the first three stages of Sunday, but he learned about Thierry Neuville's Powerstage incident when he arrived at the stop control as the joirnalists informed him that he was the winner of this year's Croatia Rally despite the fact that he took only one stage win last weekend. His consistency this year is one of his key tools as he has managed to win two rallies in a row and to become the first Japanese driver who wins a WRC round since Kenjiro Shinozuka's triumph back in 1992 and to lead the drivers' championship. After the end of the fourth WRC round, Katsuta has passed Elfyn Evans and Oliver Solberg on the drivers' standings with 81 points which means that he will start first on the road at Rally Islas Canarias.

"To win for the second rally in a row is quite amazing", Katsuta said. 

"It was a big surprise how it happened, and I felt sorry for Thierry and Martijn and the Hyundai team, because I know myself how painful these moments can be. 

"Still, I need to be happy for my team and for Aaron, because I think we did quite a clever job this weekend. 

"It was a crazy one right until the end with so many things happening. 

"It’s nice to be leading the championship now, but I’m not going to think about it too much: I will just stay focused on myself and on doing the best that I can".

Photo Credits: Toyota