Katsuta jokes to get ‘tips’ from Rovanpera ahead of WRC Rally Islas Canarias

World Rally Championship leader and Toyota driver Takamoto Katsuta has joked he might seek tips from Kalle Rovanpera as he prepares for Rally Islas Canarias.

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

Katsuta will enter the upcoming round of the WRC as the championship leader for the first time in his career, after securing back-to-back victories in both Kenya and Croatia – the former being his maiden win in the sport.

He currently holds a seven-point advantage over his closest rival and Toyota driver, Elfyn Evans, who occupies second place, after two troubled rounds in the WRC, with more teammates, Oliver Solberg and Sami Pajari, occupying the top four in third and fourth, respectively.

The Japanese driver will head the pack in Gran Canaria for the upcoming rally on Friday’s action, with the championship order being run, per the rulebook. As such, the championship leader has joked he may get some tips from his friend, two-time WRC world champion, Kalle Rovanpera. He said:

“It will be nice to be the first car on the road on Friday, even though it’s less of an advantage there because there is not much cutting and the roads stay quite clean.

“I will try my best and maybe get some tips from my friend Kalle Rovanperä, who was very fast there last year.”

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Rovanpera, who raced his final WRC season (to date) last year, took the inaugural rally win in a controlled fashion, beating Toyota’s eventual 2025 champion Sebastien Ogier. It was the first victory for the Finn, in 2025, before he went on to win two more rallies before his WRC career came to a stop so he could focus on circuit racing.

Katsuta, in the same event, found himself down in fourth, over two minutes behind Rovanpera’s pace as part of a Toyota top-four finish after the event.

However, going into this weekend, and as the championship leader, Katsuta is aware of the challenges he will face this weekend. Compared to Croatia, with broken, dirty and slippery roads, Rally Islas Canarias is set to offer a stark contrast due to the asphalt made partly with volcanic lava.

It is said to give a circuit-like race in rally conditions, meaning Katsuta and those behind him will have no room for error with barriers on one side of the car, and rocky terrain on the other.

“I enjoyed Rally Islas Canarias a lot last year and I’m really looking forward to being back,” Katsuta said. “It’s very different to Croatia but it’s very nice to drive. At the same time, there is absolutely no room for error because everybody is driving absolutely on the limit, so a small mistake can cost you a lot, even if it’s only a few tenths or one second.”

Rally Islas Canarias Weather 2026: Full WRC Weekend Forecast

Read more WRC here:

• Rally Islas Canarias Weather 2026: Full WRC Weekend Forecast
• Takamoto Katsuta takes back-to-back wins with surprise Croatia Rally victory
• Thierry Neuville maintains lead with Power Stage separating Croatia victory
• Thierry Neuville takes rally lead from Pajari in Croatia
• What is the WRC Croatia Rally stage itinerary?
• Entry List: 2026 WRC Rally Islas Canarias

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Kamron Kent

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.

Kamron Kent

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.