JAGUAR TCS RACING TEAM SURPRISE YORKSHIRE SCHOOLGIRL AFTER SHE PENS LETTER SHARING HER INGENIOUS AND ‘COOL’ TECH IDEA

23 June 2023

British race team, Jaguar TCS Racing, surprised an innovative nine‑year‑old and her classmates at Crowlees Infant & Junior School in Mirfield, Yorkshire, for this year’s International Women in Engineering Day.

Young Jaguar TCS Racing fan, Ava Beal, penned a hand‑written letter to Team Principal James Barclay with a creative suggestion to install air conditioning to the drivers’ helmets to keep them cool during races.

To commend Ava’s ingenuity and to celebrate the 10th anniversary of International Women in Engineering Day, the team organised a once in a lifetime experience for her primary school in Yorkshire.

Jaguar TCS Racing’s Software and Data Engineer, Lais Campelo S.F. Lima, joined the visit to give an inspirational talk to Ava and her classmates about her role in the team, being a woman in engineering and motorsport, and gave advice to pupils like Ava on how to feel confident to go for opportunities, no matter who they are or their background.

The morning was packed full of excitement for pupils, teachers and staff who were delighted with a surprise appearance from British racing driver Sam Bird. The all‑electric race car, the Jaguar I‑TYPE 6, was also displayed in the playground, giving pupils a close‑up look at the Gen3 car. Ava also had the special experience of seeing how it feels to be a racing driver sat in the cockpit.

The Year 4 pupils also took part in a creative activity, using their imagination to design their very own racetrack after hearing from Lais about the upcoming 2023 Southwire Portland E‑Prix.

Jaguar TCS Racing compete in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, racing at street circuits in various cities across the world and often in some of the hottest conditions.

JAGUAR TCS RACING TEAM SURPRISE YORKSHIRE SCHOOLGIRL AFTER SHE PENS LETTER SHARING HER INGENIOUS AND ‘COOL’ TECH IDEA
JAGUAR TCS RACING TEAM SURPRISE YORKSHIRE SCHOOLGIRL AFTER SHE PENS LETTER SHARING HER INGENIOUS AND ‘COOL’ TECH IDEA
JAGUAR TCS RACING TEAM SURPRISE YORKSHIRE SCHOOLGIRL AFTER SHE PENS LETTER SHARING HER INGENIOUS AND ‘COOL’ TECH IDEA
JAGUAR TCS RACING TEAM SURPRISE YORKSHIRE SCHOOLGIRL AFTER SHE PENS LETTER SHARING HER INGENIOUS AND ‘COOL’ TECH IDEA
JAGUAR TCS RACING TEAM SURPRISE YORKSHIRE SCHOOLGIRL AFTER SHE PENS LETTER SHARING HER INGENIOUS AND ‘COOL’ TECH IDEA
JAGUAR TCS RACING TEAM SURPRISE YORKSHIRE SCHOOLGIRL AFTER SHE PENS LETTER SHARING HER INGENIOUS AND ‘COOL’ TECH IDEA

I was so impressed when I opened Ava’s letter and saw her creative idea. For such a young mind to be suggesting these innovations, and one which is already being used in some motorsport categories, stood out to both myself and the Jaguar TCS Racing team. It highlighted the importance of encouraging creativity and innovation in children from a young age. In celebration of International Women in Engineering Day, I was glad we were able to send members of our team and our race car to Crowlees Infant and Junior School to encourage the future generation into STEM subjects and careers in motorsport.

James Barclay
Jaguar TCS Racing Team Principal

I think representation is really important and I hope that for the pupils, seeing women in these roles opens up space for them to imagine themselves in such positions. I believe we inspired many of the students to consider careers in STEM and motorsport. It was really great to see the children get so excited about Formula E, Sam Bird and the Jaguar I‑TYPE 6 and it felt like the whole day was a special moment for so many of them, especially Ava. All‑in‑all it was an awesome day.

Lais Campelo S.F. Lima
Jaguar TCS Racing, Data and Software Engineer

It was unbelievable to have the team at Jaguar surprise me at school. I wrote a letter to James Barclay and I never thought that I would have Sam Bird and a race car in my school as a result. I have really big dreams and when I grow up I’d like to be an engineer or a racing driver.

Ava Beal
Pupil at Crowlees I&J School

We had a fantastic morning with the Jaguar TCS Racing team when they came to visit. The children found talking to the engineers, the racing driver and the whole team a truly inspiring experience and getting to actually see a racing car was the icing on the cake! It was an inspirational and exciting morning for all and really emphasised for children that they should follow their dreams and with hard work and dedication who knows what they might achieve!

Kathy Woods
Crowlees I&J School, Head Teacher

Surprising Ava and meeting so many pupils was an amazing experience to be a part of and one I will remember in my career. It is so important young people have experiences like this and we continue to encourage and inspire pupils like Ava to dream big. From a young age I always dreamed of being a racing driver, so I hope that the pupils of Crowlees Infant and Junior School will be inspired to become engineers, racing drivers or whatever they want to be in life and go for it!

Sam Bird
Jaguar TCS Racing driver, #10

As part of Jaguar TCS Racing’s mission, “Race to Inspire”, the team is committed to inspiring the future generation by creating meaningful impact in communities both across the UK and in the cities in which they race.

Further information

Rose Jackson, Senior PR and Communications Officer, Jaguar TCS Racing  

Tel: (+44) 7384 244 015

Email: rjackso9@jaguarlandrover.com

 

Emily Hogg, Global PR and Communications Manager, Jaguar TCS Racing 

Tel: +44 (0) 7384 532 605 

Email: ehogg2@jaguarlandrover.com 

Notes to Editors

ABOUT JAGUAR TCS RACING 

Jaguar returned to racing in October 2016, becoming the first luxury manufacturer to join the all‑electric ABB FIA Formula E Championship street racing series. In season eight, Mitch Evans finished as runner‑up in the drivers’ standings – his most successful result in Jaguar TCS Racing’s Formula E campaign. 

Formula E is a real‑world test bed for Jaguar with its journey to becoming an all‑electric luxury brand from 2025. Jaguar TCS Racing’s goal is to ‘Reimagine Racing’ and together the team will test, develop, learn and collaborate, sharing insights across JLR which will benefit future road car development. Specifically, learnings and technology transfer from Formula E will help ‘Reimagine” the Jaguar brand coinciding with the company’s commitment to the Gen3 era of Formula E. 

2023 is the first year for the teams to be racing with the Gen3 car, the world’s first net zero race car.  

As an official manufacturer team in Formula E, Jaguar TCS Racing designs its own powertrain, which includes the motor, transmission, inverter, and rear suspension. Jaguar, via its long‑term Formula E technical partner Williams Advanced Engineering, will supply Envision Racing with its powertrain for the Gen3 era. 

To control costs, the carbon fibre chassis and battery are common components and the same for all eleven teams. This allows the focus to be on developing efficient and lightweight electric vehicle powertrains which will improve the performance and range of future JLR electric vehicles. 

Teams have two race cars, one per driver, which will be used for the full race distance.  

Beyond its all‑electric concept, Formula E is unique in the world of motorsport for its choice of venues. The 2023 championship takes place on temporary street circuits in the centre of the world’s major cities including Mexico City, Diriyah and Rome, with new locations including Hyderabad, Cape Town, and São Paulo. The season finale plays out across a double‑header race weekend in London.  

In 2022, Jaguar TCS Racing finished fourth in the teams' standings with seven podiums, four wins, one pole position, one fastest lap and 231 points scored – the team’s biggest points haul to date. New Zealander, Mitch Evans finished last season as runner‑up with Sam Bird finishing thirteenth overall in the drivers’ standings. 

Formula E remains a key priority for JLR and the company’s Reimagine strategy. As the premier all‑electric world championship, Formula E allows us to test and develop new electric vehicle technologies in a high‑performance environment. It continues to be the test bed for our Race to Innovate mission that will see Race to Road and Road to Race learnings that will help shape our electric future – a future that Jaguar is passionate about, and dedicated to for the benefit of our society, the changing landscape of mobility, sustainability and our clients.  

Through our Race to Inspire mission, Jaguar TCS Racing are committed to inspiring the future generation by using the race programme to create a positive impact on our planet and the communities in which we race. From competing in the world’s first net carbon race car to supporting and training the next generation of engineers and motorsport professionals.  

For more information, visit www.jaguar.com  

About Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) 

TCS is an IT services, consulting, and business solutions organization that has been digitally transforming many of the world's largest businesses for over 50 years. A long‑standing strategic technology partner of Jaguar Land Rover, TCS is committed to leveraging innovative digital technology to help the race team accelerate their electrification journey, win races, and create a more sustainable future. TCS believes that global sports sponsorships with purpose can spark change and positively impact our communities. A part of the Tata Group, TCS has more than 616,000 consultants in 55 countries.