Emily Cotty achieved an impressive top-ten result on her Michelin Le Mans Cup debut, as well as showing brilliant speed in European Le Mans’ post-season testing at Portimão.

Entering the world of endurance racing after spending two seasons in Formula 4 competition, the rising star from Chichester joined Bretton Racing for her first-ever race in Michelin Le Mans Cup’s LMP3 class at Portimão on the European Le Mans Series support bill.

Competing alongside Bruno Ribeiro in the main LMP3 class, Cotty took to the track for Wednesday’s tests and Thursday’s practice sessions to prepare the car for the two-hour endurance on Saturday.

In her first outings with the car, she showed quick pace from the get-go, lapping consistently close to her more experienced teammate and competitively around the rest of the field.

Emily Cotty achieved an impressive top-ten result on her Michelin Le Mans Cup debut

placeholder image — Emily Cotty achieved an impressive top-ten result on her Michelin Le Mans Cup debut

Following a difficult qualifying session, their #26 Bretton Racing Ligier gradually made its way up the order and into the top seven as the pit cycles commenced, during which Cotty took over driving duties.

When she got in the car, she inherited three drive-through penalties from earlier in the race, which dropped her down the order, but while cars around her also received penalties, she began clawing back lost time and positions. A fast and consistent final stint by the British-Kiwi earned her a 10th-place finish, as well as securing the team’s first points of the season.

Following that, Cotty took part in European Le Mans Series rookie tests with fellow LMP3 team Forestier Racing by VPS, founded by endurance racing specialists Matthieu Vaxiviere and Aurelien Panis.

On her first outing with the team, she set the fourth-fastest time in the morning session, as the fastest proper rookie, which was good enough for the ninth-best time overall between the two sessions.

Bretton team manager Michaela Dorcikova said: “Emily has proven much more than speed this weekend. She is a professional, talented and hard-working driver that managed to become a true team player in such a short time, qualities that are essential in the endurance world.

" So many aspects of this weekend were new for her, but she overcame all challenges and fought until the chequered flag. That brought her, but also our car 26 the first point in the championship. Fully deserved for her impeccable performance and I am just glad that Bretton Racing could be a part of her journey.”