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In the male dominated world of motorsport, female participation has always been historically low. Recently, there has been a push for increased participation driven by Motorsport UK, More Than Equal (led by former F1 star David Coulthard), the British Women Drivers Association, ladies only F1 Academy and forward thinking teams such as Formula specialists Rodin Carlin, Alpine F1 with their Rac(hers) academy and more recently, Surrey based McLaren Racing.

In karting, female participation is currently very low, under 10% of grids in the UK contain female drivers, and lower throughout Europe. However, even with a low participation, female drivers are excelling in motorsport and are regularly seen at the front of grids, proving sex is no barrier to success. With Women’s Football and Rugby showing the way, there is, and will be, significant interest and increased revenue potential for motor racing with the inclusion of female drivers on the grid, particularly when female drivers make it to the top echelon of the sport, F1.

The UK has some talented female drivers already, Jamie Chadwick (racing in Indy Cars), Abbi Pulling and Jessica Edgar, the latter two currently drive in the F1 Academy with the aim to secure enough Super License points to enter F1.

Junior Rotax karter Emily Cotty, 14, from Colworth, near Chichester, has similar ambitions supported by the Chichester-based sponsor, Rally Replay. Rally Replay created a drivers academy for talented youngsters seeking to make a professional career out of Motorsport and currently have five youngsters in the team both Karting and Rallying. Her school, Seaford College near Petworth, with their sporting focus, support Emily’s endeavours every step of the way.

Emily Cotty crosses the finish line R12 of Superone, Shenington Kart Club | Picture by Stu Stretton Photography

Emily pestered her Dad every day since the age of 6, desperate to go racing. He finally relented at the age of 11, firstly taking Emily indoor racing at her local Teamsport Karting venue in Fareham. Emily has since progressed rapidly, and is now challenging at and winning outdoor events throughout the UK. The privateer team racing over thirty times across the UK so far in 2023.

More recently, Emily clean-swept the final round of Superone at Shenington Kart Club in Oxfordshire, winning every heat, and the final by some margin, besting 28 other drivers. The first female driver to win a round of the prestigious Superone Junior championship since Abbi Pulling.

Emily is passionate to compete with male drivers on an equal footing, and is following the traditional route taken by Formula drivers to get to the highest level. Emily is now racing in the British Kart Championship for the remainder of the season and is next out at Warden Law Kart track in Sunderland in late September. Shortly thereafter, Emily will embark on a full season of British level Karting in 2024.

Emily will also be testing in Formula 4 in October in the UK and also in Denmark, where she will be entering the Danish F4 championship in preparation for a full assault on F4 in 2025 in either British or Italian F4.

You can read more about Emily on her social media at https://www.instagram.com/emilycotty42/ and https://www.facebook.com/emilycotty42

Teenager Emily is racing ahead in a male-dominated sport