Ferdinand Zvonimir Maria Balthus Keith Michael Otto Antal Bahnam Leonhard Habsburg-Lothringen will be behind the wheel of one of the new Formula Toyota cars in the New Zealand Grand Prix at Manfeild on February 15.

His royal throne will be in one of the the Toyota Racing Series cars because the 16-year-old is the Imperial Prince and Archduke of Austria and the Royal Prince of Hungary and Bohemia, even though his titles are no longer recognised by the Austrian government, nor by the Hungarians.

His grandfather, Otto von Habsburg, renounced all claims to the Austrian throne so he could return to Austria.

Ferdinand has come through karting in Europe and has raced at Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals including this year’s in Valencia, Spain, where Palmerston North karter Dylan Drysdale also took part.

Habsburg has been racing in the Formula Renault 1.6 series in Europe for the Austrian Lechner Racing School. “I have a huge goal,” he said. “I specifically want to go into Formula One race-car driving; that’s the highest anyone can go and I really hope I can make it.”

While on motoring royalty, another to drive in New Zealand was Prince Bira of Siam (now Thailand) in the 1950s. He went on to Formula One and won the NZ Grand Prix at Ardmore in 1955 in a Maserati.

Again there are only a handful of Kiwi drivers in the TRS series, just four including Christchurch’s James Munro and Invercargill drivers Jamie Conroy and Damon Leitch, as well as 14 foreigners. Munro is back after winning this year’s Formula Master China series.

Russian Artem Markelov (20) was New Zealander Mitch Evans’ team-mate in the GP2 series with the Russian Time team.

Canadian Lance Stroll won this year’s Italian F4 and is backed by Ferrari’s Driver Academy as he prepares to step up to the European Formula 3 championship.

This year the TRS introduces the latest Toyota Tatuus FT-50 single-seater with Sadev six-speed transmission, paddle gearshift and FIA-spec driver safety systems, enhanced aerodynamics and braking.

Recent TRS graduates are Mitch Evans (2012), Russian Daniil Kvyat (2013), who made his Formula One debut this year with Toro Rosso and steps up to the Red Bull Racing drive vacated by Sebastian Vettel, and Alex Lynn, who was second in TRS in 2013 and has recently tested in Formula One.