Takamoto Katsuta wins Rally Croatia to claim WRC lead over Elfyn Evans
Toyota driver Takamoto Katsuta has claimed the World Rally Championship lead after securing a dramatic victory at Rally Croatia following Thierry Neuville’s devastating last-stage crash.
The defending 2024 champion, Neuville, had established a commanding advantage of one minute and 15 seconds heading into the final stage.
However, the Belgian slid wide on a treacherous bend, shattering his Hyundai’s suspension against a concrete block.
This late heartbreak forced the former rally leader to retire, immediately gifting the win to his Japanese rival and Northern Irish co-driver Aaron Johnston.
Evans salvages vital championship points
The unexpected triumph marks a second consecutive WRC victory for the rising motorsport star, following his maiden success in Kenya.
Consequently, Welshman Elfyn Evans relinquishes his spot at the top of the standings, trailing his in-form Toyota team-mate by seven points.
Evans and his co-driver Scott Martin had previously crashed out of contention on Friday following an uncharacteristic error.
Despite the severe setback, a resilient performance during Super Sunday and the closing power stage allowed the duo to claw back crucial points in the title battle.
Heartbreak for Neuville and Breen tribute
The sudden retirement denied Neuville a highly sought-after first win of the current campaign.
A victory would have held profound emotional significance for the Hyundai garage, who were running a special livery paying tribute to the late Craig Breen.
The popular Irish driver tragically lost his life aged 33 in a testing accident before the 2023 edition of this exact event.
Mixed fortunes for M-Sport contingent
Elsewhere in the field, Sami Pajari and Hayden Paddon successfully navigated the intense attrition to complete the podium places.
Motorsport Ireland’s Josh McErlean suffered a deeply frustrating weekend, missing out on a career-best finish after sustaining a Friday puncture from fifth place.
A subsequent electrical fire in his M-Sport Ford Puma on Saturday ultimately dropped him entirely out of the points-scoring positions.
The gruelling asphalt series will next give way to the Canary Islands rally, scheduled to commence on 23 April.
Rally Croatia top three
- 1. Takamoto Katsuta / Aaron Johnston (Toyota) 2:51:15.8
- 2. Sami Pajari / Marko Salminen (Toyota) +20.7 seconds
- 3. Hayden Paddon / John Kennard (Hyundai) +2:07.7
Current WRC standings
- 1. Takamoto Katsuta – 81 points
- 2. Elfyn Evans – 74 points
- 3. Oliver Solberg – 68 points
