Prince William visited the Jaguar TCS Racing Formula E team in Kidlington, Oxfordshire on Thursday, coinciding with the 8th birthday of his youngest son, Prince Louis of Wales.
The royal was welcomed by team members before beginning his visit to the trophy room, where Jaguar’s growing success in the Formula E championship was on full display.
The tour then moved to the heart of operations, where cutting-edge technology and precision engineering support Jaguar’s racing performance.
William met Portuguese motor racing star António Félix da Costa, 2019-20 Formula E world champion.
The driver explained the details of the car to him, offering him an insight into the speed, strategy and split-second decisions that define the sport.
Then came the moment everyone was waiting for: the Prince himself climbed into the cockpit.
At 6-foot-4, it wasn’t exactly a perfect fit, but that didn’t stop him from settling behind the wheel and getting a feel for the tight, tech-rich space drivers call home.
One engineer joked that only one of their current drivers, Jake Dennis, comes close in size and even he barely fits.
Still, William’s willingness to give it a try earned him plenty of appreciation, especially given the physical demand of getting in and out of the car.
The tour also tells the story of Formula E’s wider mission, combining elite motorsport with sustainability and innovation.
Jaguar TCS Racing has been at the forefront of this, using racing as a testing ground for electric vehicle technology that can ultimately influence everyday road cars.
