Takamoto Katsuta confirms engine problems for WRC Rally Estonia retirement

Takamoto Katsuta confirms engine problems for WRC Rally Estonia retirement

20th July 2025 0 By Kamron Kent

Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta has confirmed they had ‘engine trouble’, which resulted in their retirement from the World Rally Championship’s Rally Estonia. 

Feature image credit: Jaanus Ree // Red Bull Content Pool

Katsuta was running in sixth for the majority of the Estonian event, in between Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux and Toyota teammate Elfyn Evans. However, he dropped down to seventh, swapping places with Evans on the penultimate stage of the event; SS19 – Kääriku 1. 

Before the Wolf Power Stage got underway, it was reported that the Japanese/Irish crew, occupied by Katsuta and Aaron Johnston, was driving away from the stage area and back to the service area in Tartu, to retire from the event. 

He becomes the first and only retiree of the Rally1 classification in Estonia. 

Katsuta announced on social media that their Rally1 Yaris had engine trouble which prompted their retirement. He said: 

“Sadly, we had to retire @rallyestonia, due to technical issue. Due to engine trouble, we retired from Rally Estonia before the power stage.

“Thank you for your support.”

As a result of Kastua’s retirement, it means that everyone below him; Sami Pajari (Toyota) and M-Sport Ford’s trio; Martins Sesks, Joshua McErlean and Gregoire Munster, move up a position in the overall standings. 

Katsuta will be back at the end of July for the next event on the WRC calendar at the historic an iconic Rally Finland, on July 31 – August 3, 2025. 

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Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.