Australian driver Molly Taylor enjoyed a fine start to the British Rally Championship campaign with victory amongst the Suzuki Swift Sport Cup runners on the season-opening Bulldog International Rally.

Partnered by Jemma Bellingham in the only all-female crew in the BRC, the 20-year-old came home at the head of the six-strong Suzuki field to claim maximum points on her first outing in the series.

Taylor got the rally off to a good start on SS1, where she was lying in second place, just half a second off Richard Sykes. Not to be beaten, she continued to claw back time from the other crews, setting four fastest times out of only six stages.

“I only arrived in the country three weeks ago and the shakedown stage on Thursday was the first time I'd actually driven the car, so we were in at the deep-end,” she said. “I had no idea about how my pace would match that of the other crews so I was really pleased to be setting some quick times throughout the day.”