“Kidding, that would be hard!”

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JYVÄSKYLÄ.

On the final day of the Jyväskylä World Rally Championship, the hottest fight took place for the last podium place. Hyundai’s Teemu Suninen and Toyota Takamoto Katsuta were in a tight fight for third place throughout Saturday’s driving day. In the evening run, there were twists and turns of even hundredths of a second, but in the difficult conditions, on Vekkula’s second stroke, Katsuta broke.

Katsuta, who is from Central Finland, clocked the lowest time and beat Suninen by 6.5 seconds. So the Finn still had 6.4 seconds left until the final day.

At the finish, Katsuta was still unsure of his own driving.

– I can say that I was really afraid. If I passed Suninen, then everything is really good, Katsuta said and thanked From Kalle Rovanperä the tips they received.

Katsuta described how Rovanperä is really good in difficult water conditions.

– Kalle has taught me many things. I was trying to drift and I was going crazy, Katsuta said and also referred to Rovanperä’s favorite pastime.

Later, the Japanese explained the background to his comments. Katsuta said that he was a good friend of Rovanperä. The reigning world champion and Katsuta share information with each other after the sheet music. Information also goes one way or the other about special tests.

Katsuta said that sometimes he might ask Rovanpera for tips for difficult situations like Vekkula’s.

– Kalle always says that in difficult circumstances like this it’s time to attack, Katsuta smiled.

The Japanese also said that he was involved in Rovanperä’s tests for the World Rally Championship in Jyväskylä. Katsuta was also in the tests at Rovanperä’s map reader’s place with a few moves.

– He showed me how to drive on Finnish roads. I compete with him, but he gives me tips, Katsuta said.

It’s a big deal for a coach who reads sheet music to Latvala

Katsuta acting as a coach Juho Hänninen went to the service park to congratulate the Japanese driver. You could see from the warm handshake that Katsuta’s success meant a lot.

Hänninen is participating in this race Jari-Matti Latvala as a map reader.

– I was as excited about the time of the last clip of “Taka” as I was about our day. Really great. He pulled off the last bit so wonderfully. Sunday is still a long day, but if you could get on the podium… Just kidding, that would be tough! Hänninen sets the mood.

The 30-year-old Japanese has grown to the World Rally Championship through the Finnish-led Toyota development program. Last season, Katsuta showed really steady moves. He was on the podium twice and only had to retire once. In Monte Carlo, he continued with the Super Rally rule until the end of the race.

This season has been sticky. There was an interruption in Sweden. Mexico, Portugal and Sardinia also did poorly. The only bright spot has been fourth place in the Safari rally.

– I myself know how difficult it is after difficult competitions. Now he is fighting with Teemu Suninen for the podium places in these conditions. The boy has calculated well, Hänninen marveled.

Hänninen, who himself has raced in the World Cup competitions, reminds that listening to Rovanperä’s advice is one thing, but the next step is implementing it.

– Before, Taka has had difficulties when the grip changes. Now here he has had no problem with it. I am very happy for the boy, Hänninen opens.

Toyota’s big boss: Rovanperä, who interrupted, now helps Katsuta

Latvala himself described the conditions in the service park in Vekkula as something he had never experienced before in his long career in Finland. The drivers had to fight in the mud after the rain.

Many people compared the conditions in Vekkula to the legendary Safari rally organized in Kenya. Latvala signed the opinion.

– Vekkula was a real Vekkula the second time. It was a bit like Safari when the grooves were full of water. Didn’t know where to go, Latvala described.

Latvala was naturally proud of Katsuta’s performance and the team is not doing badly anyway, even though the team manager is competing himself. Elfyn Evans forged a huge number of bottom times on Saturday and tore a noticeable gap in the fight for victory over Hyundai to Thierry Neuville.

– It was a great performance from the back. He stretched in difficult conditions. That’s great. Elfyn has also driven nicely. He made a big hit in the morning. You need those if you want to win the rally, Latvala felt.

The chairman of the board of Toyota who will succeed Latvala as team manager this week Akio Toyoda is happy that Rovanperä and Katsuta have become good friends.

– It was a shame for Kalle that we couldn’t fix the car. He is now helping Taka. As a result, Taka moved up a notch, Toyoda said.

If Suninen does not make it to the podium, the interesting Finnish curse will continue in the Finnish World Rally Championship.

If there has been a number three in the year, Finns have not been seen on the podium on the gravel roads of Central Finland since 1993. All in all, there have only been three times in the Jyväskylä World Rally Championship when Finns have not been on the podium. The years have been 2003, 2013 and 2021.

– Six seconds is still not an impossible difference. It is by no means an easy task, but it is possible to catch up if everything falls into place, Suninen believed.