William tries 'fantastic' replica Formula E car

Before getting out of the car, the prince thanked the driver, adding "that's fantastic".

He told young Jaguar TCS Racing graduate engineers that he had joked with their colleagues earlier about the driver becoming "the weak link", considering the many innovations in the sport.

"(At what point do we think) get rid of drivers, we'll get an AI person in?… We're probably not far off that, are we?" he added.

Head of technical integrations Jack Lambert, who gave the prince a tour of the premises, joked that his height could make racing in the car uncomfortable.

"It's great to see him in there, and that he was keen to get in it, because it's not an easy thing to get in and out of by any means," he said.

"And his interaction with Antonio, and Antonio being able to tell him about his world while he's behind the steering wheel, it's awesome."

Gaduate Phoebe Russel, 22, said doing a career talk during the royal visit had been "very exciting" [Justin Tallis/PA Wire]

Speaking to 22-year-old graduate Phoebe Russell, the prince remarked that motorsport was "not necessarily the first thing women would think about joining".

"Was it easy for you to find your way into this world?", he asked, to which she replied "not at all", adding that she had exposure to the sport as a child.

Speaking after the visit, Russell said she was "in shock" after meeting the prince.

"Being asked to do a little career talk was very exciting,"she said.

"The fact that he had so much awareness of the sport and so much interest, and it ties into his whole sustainability project, it was very interesting."

Prince William wished the team luck ahead of their races in Berlin next month, saying: "I'm very excited to see you racing, I'm going to cheer you guys on."

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Related Links

• Jaguar TCS Racing
• The Prince of Wales