In his 94th WRC start, the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 driver became the first Japanese driver to win at the highest level of rallying since Yoshio Fujimoto's victory at Safari Rally Kenya in 1995. The result also carries special significance for Katsuta, who scored his maiden WRC podium at the same event in 2021.

The foundations of victory were established during a dramatic Saturday, as the extreme conditions of Safari Rally Kenya reshaped the overall classification. Until then, Toyota Gazoo Racing had held a commanding 1-2-3 advantage, before the rally’s demanding terrain took a decisive toll on the leading Rally1 crews.

Championship leader Elfyn Evans was the first major casualty, retiring in the notoriously demanding Sleeping Warrior stage with terminal rear-right suspension damage to his GR Yaris Rally1. Moments later, the complexion of the rally changed further on the road section back to Naivasha service park, as rally leader Oliver Solberg was forced out by a clutch failure, while team-mate Sébastien Ogier stopped with an electrical issue.

That sequence of events elevated Katsuta into the lead, and the Japanese driver responded with a measured and composed performance across Sunday’s final leg. Starting the day with an advantage of 1min 25.5sec, he prioritised consistency over risk through two passes of Oserengoni and Hell’s Gate to secure victory by 27.4sec.

“I don't know what to say,” said Katsuta. “We have had so many difficulties and moments. Aaron has worked very hard with me. The team always believed in me when I was failing all the time. I'm here because of them and Aaron.”

Adrien Fourmaux completed a strong performance for Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team to finish second overall and claim the 10th WRC podium of his career. It marked a notable recovery after a difficult event for the Hyundai squad, whose drivers were affected by persistent overheating issues in their Hyundai i20 N Rally1 cars throughout the weekend.

Sami Pajari finished third to secure a second consecutive WRC podium. Despite suffering a high-speed tyre failure on Saturday that caused extensive bodywork damage and cost significant time, the Toyota driver delivered a mature performance to guide his car safely to the finish.

Esapekka Lappi placed fourth overall, ending the rally 1min 41.2sec behind Pajari after a challenging weekend that included heavy understeer and multiple punctures.

Although Katsuta focused on preserving his overall advantage, there was still late drama in the fight for bonus points. Under restart regulations, Solberg, Ogier and Evans all returned on Sunday and contested Super Sunday and Wolf Power Stage honours. Solberg responded strongly to Saturday’s retirement by setting the fastest time in the Wolf Power Stage, 2.8sec clear of Ogier, to secure the maximum points haul available from the final day.

Despite his retirement from second overall on Saturday, Evans’ pace on Sunday ensured he retained the lead of the FIA World Rally Championship drivers’ standings on 66 points, with Solberg eight points behind.

In WRC2, Robert Virves delivered an impressive drive in the challenging conditions to secure class victory and an excellent fifth place overall.