Here is a matchup of pure endurance against raw, immediate shock. Takamoto Katsuta's long-awaited first WRC victory faces Mārtiņš Sesks' unforgettable introduction to Rally1 pace in the third opening-round vote of Rally1 Rewind.
Kenya had already given Katsuta some of his best WRC results, including his first podium in 2021. In March 2026, it finally delivered a victory. Katsuta and Aaron Johnston's route to the top step was far from straightforward. A double puncture on Friday left their Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 seventh, almost two minutes from the lead. As mud, rocks and technical problems hit the field on Saturday, they concentrated on getting through and climbed into first place. An advantage of 1min 25.5sec entering Sunday gave Katsuta room to manage the final four stages. He did so carefully, finishing 27.4sec ahead of Adrien Fourmaux to secure a maiden outright win for both himself and Johnston. The breakthrough rewarded a journey with Toyota's driver development programme which had begun in 2015, and years of work to make the final step.
Sesks did not have to wait until the end of his Rally1 debut to make an impression. His first full-length stage was enough. After Thursday's opening super special at Rally Poland, the Latvian and co-driver Renārs Francis headed into the 29.40km Stańczyki test on Friday morning. Driving an M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 without hybrid assistance, they stopped the clock just 0.3sec behind stage winner Andreas Mikkelsen.
“What! Ok. That's it,” was his stunned response when told the time had put him second overall. Sesks was discovering the car while already troubling the established front-runners. He held second until the midday halt and went on to finish fifth overall. That longer result confirmed the promise, but the nomination centres on those first fast kilometres and the reaction when Sesks discovered just how competitive they had been.
Fans can choose their quarter-finalist in the poll before 08:00 CET on 7 November. Tomorrow's pairing brings together Sami Pajari's first three WRC wins and Sébastien Ogier's ninth world title.
