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Nine-year-old British Formula E fan, Ava Beal, contacted Jaguar and their Team Principal James Barclay to propose an intelligent plan to help their drivers combat hot temperatures at future events. The young fan hand-wrote a letter suggesting that the team could look at installing air conditioning in their drivers’ helmets to help keep them cool. The system is one used already in IndyCar and left a remarkable impression on the team.
“I was so impressed when I opened Ava’s letter and saw her creative idea,” Barclay said about Ava’s 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.”
To celebrate the 10th edition of International Women in Engineering Day, Jaguar sent their team, car and driver, Sam Bird, to the Yorkshire school.
“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,” Barclay added.
As well as showing young generations the excellent GEN3 car, showing how cool all-electric racing can be, Jaguar also sent their Software and Data Engineer, Lais Campelo S.F. Lima. In addition to offering her support to Ava, Lais also gave an inspirational talk to the students and shared her advice and how to feel confident as a woman in motorsport.
“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,” Lais stated about her visit to the school.
“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.”
The Year 4 pupils also participated in a creative activity and designed their very own racetrack ahead of the inaugural Southwire Portland E-Prix.