EMILY COTTY & PAYTON WESTCOTT Battle Through 41-Car Italian F4 Chaos at Misano

May 7, 2025

GRRL! SUMMARY:

EMILY COTTY and PAYTON WESTCOTT proved their mettle in a brutal Italian F4 season opener where 41 drivers fought for just 36 spots in the final race. Both women not only made the cut but delivered solid performances when it mattered most, beating five more experienced drivers to earn their places. COTTY recovered from early setbacks to finish 24th in the final, gaining 10 positions from her starting spot, while WESTCOTT consistently ran in the top 20 throughout the weekend despite mechanical issues.
The weekend format was unforgiving – qualifying splits, group races, and a points-based final grid that eliminated five drivers entirely. KORNELIA OLKUCKA, making her Italian debut, kept her nose clean through the chaos but missed the final cut by just a few positions. Her 26th place finish in race three wasn’t enough to crack the top 36, but she gained crucial experience in a completely different racing environment from her previous CEZ competition.
Both COTTY and WESTCOTT faced significant adversity – COTTY was involved in a collision with David Walther that ended her second race early and earned her a grid penalty, while WESTCOTT suffered a puncture in race three that forced retirement. Yet they bounced back for the final, with COTTY praising her R-ace GP team’s support and WESTCOTT showing the pace that had her running 15th before contact with other drivers derailed her progress.