Katsuta claims surprise victory at Croatia Rally after Neuville late-stage exit

Takamoto Katsuta secured his second consecutive World Rally Championship victory in a dramatic finish at the Croatia Rally. Leading by over a minute heading into the final test, Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville saw his victory hopes vanish when he struck a concrete block, causing terminal suspension damage to his i20 N Rally1.

This final-stage twist elevated Katsuta to the top of the podium, further cementing his momentum following his recent success in Kenya. The result puts the Toyota driver in the lead of the overall drivers' standings with 84 points. His Toyota teammate Sami Pajari finished second after recovering from an earlier puncture, while Hayden Paddon rounded out the podium in third, marking his first top-three finish since 2018.

The rally also saw a historic milestone in the WRC2 category as Yohan Rossel piloted the Lancia Ypsilon HF Rally2 to a category win, securing the manufacturer its first top-five overall finish in the WRC since 1994. The championship will continue later this month with the shift to Rally Islas Canarias.