British-Kiwi driver Emily Cotty will join established Czech team Bretton Racing for her LMP3 debut this weekend at Portimão in the Michelin Le Mans Cup.
Following two seasons in the Formula 4 ranks in Italian F4 and the UAE4 series earlier this year, Emily will join the Michelin Le Mans Cup grid for the Portimão finale for Bretton Racing in the LMP3 class.
The Michelin Le Mans Cup round at Portimão will be part of the European Le Mans Series package, both organised by the ACO (Automobile Club de l’Ouest), which also organises the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Emily stated, ‘We took the decision a few months ago to cut our F4 season short and concentrate on other opportunities arising for next year. Since then, I’ve been out testing in various Formula and GT cars, and I’ve now had this exciting opportunity to try LMP3 in MLMC with Bretton Racing.
It’s a big challenge for sure, as I’m arriving at a new track, in a new car and in a new team! I love a challenge, and I’m going to give my very best for the team and my teammates.’
Team Manager for Bretton, Michaela Dorcikova commented, ‘I am thrilled to have Emily in the team! She will have the opportunity to explore the world of endurance racing and a Le Mans prototype for the first time, and it’s a pleasure to be part of her journey. Bretton Racing was established for exactly this reason, and having a young and skilled female driver join us for the final championship race is truly a cherry on top of our season.’
The series features two classes of cars, LMP3 and GT3, reserved for endurance prototypes and production-based GT cars, respectively. The former class also features the Pro-Am subclass, for driver lineups containing an amateur (or FIA Bronze-rated driver), but all LMP3 cars will use the same Toyota 3.5L V6 Twin-turbo engine.
Emily will compete for overall honours in the main LMP3 class in Bretton Racing’s #26 Ligier JS P325 alongside Brazilian driver Bruno Ribeiro. The Portimão weekend will begin with two practice sessions on Thursday, followed by LMP3 qualifying on Friday and the two-hour race on Saturday.
Header Image: Supplied
