Takamoto Katsuta claimed his second straight WRC victory after Thierry Neuville’s final-stage retirement transformed the 2026 Croatia Rally.
A final-stage victory in Croatia
Takamoto Katsuta won the 2026 Croatia Rally after long-time leader Thierry Neuville hit trouble on the final stage around Zagreb, handing the Toyota driver his second consecutive World Rally Championship victory.
Neuville started the final test with a 1m15.4s lead and looked set to claim Hyundai’s first win of the season. Instead, the Belgian lost the rear of his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 and hit a concrete block. The impact caused terminal damage to the car’s front-right corner.
Neuville completed the stage after losing more than 20 minutes, but he was officially retired at the end of the event. That promoted Katsuta and co-driver Aaron Johnston from second to first in their Toyota GR Yaris Rally1. They completed the 20-stage asphalt rally in 2h51m15.8s.
Katsuta’s victory followed his breakthrough maiden WRC win at Safari Rally Kenya. A second straight success also put the Japanese driver at the top of the championship for the first time, seven points ahead of Toyota team-mate Elfyn Evans.
Neuville’s commanding lead vanishes
Neuville entered the deciding stage with more than a minute in hand. He had managed his pace through Sunday’s asphalt tests and was aiming for a clean run to the finish.
The Wolf Power Stage changed everything. Neuville said a corner surprised him, causing him to turn in too early and slide into the collision. The resulting suspension damage ended a performance that had taken Hyundai close to breaking Toyota’s perfect winning run at the start of 2026.
“Unfortunately the rally can strike even at the very last stage,” Neuville said. “We have no choice, we have to come back stronger.”
Katsuta had mixed emotions after the unexpected outcome. He recognized the achievement for Toyota and Johnston, then immediately expressed sympathy for Neuville, co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe and Hyundai.
“Of course I need to be happy for my team, for everybody and for Aaron,” Katsuta said. “But still, I know I’ve had so many of those moments myself, and that’s why I really feel pain for Thierry.”
Early exits reshape the contest
The final-stage incident had the biggest impact, but Croatia had already turned into a punishing event during Friday’s opening leg. Two leading championship contenders dropped out of the fight that morning.
Monte Carlo winner Oliver Solberg went off the road only 4.8 kilometres into the rally after clipping a rock face on the opening stage. Evans then retired on stage three when he misjudged a tight right-hand corner and went off the road.
Those retirements initially moved Sami Pajari into the rally lead. The Toyota driver held a 2.7s advantage over Neuville, with Katsuta another 6.4s back in third. Pajari extended his margin through Friday and took a 13.7s lead over Neuville into Saturday.
The order shifted on stage 14, the second pass through the new Generalski Stol. Zdihovo test. Drivers said its heavily polluted surface resembled a gravel stage, creating further uncertainty during a difficult asphalt weekend. Neuville emerged in position to win before Croatia’s final kilometres changed the result again.
Toyota seals a one-two finish
Pajari finished second, 20.7s behind Katsuta, securing a one-two result for Toyota and its GR Yaris Rally1. It was still a significant result for the Finn after he led the event and chased his maiden WRC victory.
Hayden Paddon and co-driver John Kennard completed the podium for Hyundai. Their i20 N Rally1 finished 2m07.7s behind Katsuta and 1m47.0s behind Pajari. Paddon’s result gave Hyundai a podium reward despite Neuville’s late retirement.
Yohan Rossel took fourth overall and the WRC2 victory in a Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale, finishing 5m19.9s off the lead. Léo Rossel placed fifth overall in a Citroën C3 Rally2, while Nikolay Gryazin brought the second Lancia home in sixth.
- Winner: Takamoto Katsuta and Aaron Johnston, Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
- Winning time: 2h51m15.8s
- Second: Sami Pajari and Marko Salminen, 20.7s behind
- Third: Hayden Paddon and John Kennard, 2m07.7s behind
- WRC2 winner: Yohan Rossel and Arnaud Dunand
Katsuta claims historic championship lead
Croatia delivered another victory and a championship milestone. Katsuta became the first Japanese driver to lead the WRC standings, opening a seven-point advantage over Evans after four rounds.
His two wins came in sharply different circumstances. Katsuta controlled the final day in Kenya to secure his first WRC victory. In Croatia, he stayed in position and took his opportunity when the leader hit trouble. Surviving a rally shaped by punctures, pollution and major retirements secured another maximum result for Toyota.
Katsuta kept his focus on his own development and the strength of the Toyota package after taking the championship lead, rather than the historical significance.
“The car is working well, so I trust the car and the team, and I just try to improve myself more and become a better driver,” he said.
The championship heads next to Rally Islas Canarias from April 23-26. Katsuta will arrive in Spain as the points leader, while Neuville and Hyundai must recover from a victory lost at the final obstacle in Croatia.
