Team Claymore issues only a brief statement about the change of their engine supplier. Faith asks Nicholas to block all enquiries. Mori Motors do not say anything at all. Since they leave Melbourne before everybody else, the stir the new partnership creates does not hit them with full force. They can focus on the task at hand, which is quite enough.

  Sepang provides all the infrastructure they need. The engineers assemble the new engines, and Faith has never seen so many shining eyes in her life. When they start the Akane for the first time, propped up on a test stand, the men almost cheer.

  “How do you like that sound?”, Tom shouts across the noise.

  “Sounds like music”, Faith lies. It sounds like an engine, but even she can hear that the thing promises a powerful and smooth performance.

  Strathairn and his men have to figure out how the engines can be fitted into their old car, and at the same time they have to come up with a modified design that will be available to them as soon as possible. Faith is putting her signature on cheque after cheque, and then she also signs the contracts with Mori and Tom. Mori is being easy on them; they are getting a better deal from him than Faith could have imagined. Nicholas handles the paperwork with the FIA, and he also reminds her that they are going to need a new design, featuring their new supplier. They are having a very productive weekend, and they are looking forward to Monday.

  The whole team is assembled when Strathairn marries the engine to the car. All the liquids go in. Tom is sitting in the car when they start the engine.

  “Sounds good”, he says. “Feels good, too.”

  He looks at Faith. She realises what is going to happen and immediately shakes her head.

  “No, absolutely not. You’re not going to drive this car.”

  Tom grins. Faith looks at Strathairn, who also grins.

  “Have you got a licence?”, she asks. “No, you don’t.”

  Strathairn clears his throat. “It would not be the worst idea to send him out for a round or two. Just to get his opinion. Nothing against you guys.” He looks at the drivers. “But Tom speaks my language when it comes to balance.”

  The drivers agree. It is quite possible that they do not trust the car yet. But they cannot have a driver without a licence going around the track. “You cannot do this”, she says lamely.

  Pushing himself out of the car, Tom says, “Deniz, have you got your outfit on hand? And your helmet?”

  Deniz matches Tom in height and build. “Sure”, he says. Then he looks at Faith, who just raises her hands in a show of despair.

  “Faith, why don’t you get the controls ready outside? We’ll need a few more minutes”, Tom suggests.

  She obeys. This is a smart move. She is going to see her car driving away, and the driver is going to wear Deniz’ helmet. She knows nothing. She boots up the computer and puts on her headphones. Then she waits.

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  Tom is seizing this chance to drive a race car again like a kid would grab a Christmas present. She is not worried about his hand. He will be fine on a test round. His hand will not hold up during a whole race, but slow rounds should not be a problem. She is not even worried that their manoeuvre might be detected – if they were, she would just pay the penalty. She actually finds herself enjoying the moment. He had looked happy.

  Then her car drives off, the driver is wearing Deniz’ helmet. She says a few words of encouragement to him on the radio, and then she leaves him alone. He has not replied. Strathairn joins her at the controls.

  “Don’t worry”, he says. “He’ll be fine.”

  “When did you come up with this idea?”, she asks, but he just shrugs.

  The first round is slow. On the straight right in front of them he does some zigzagging and gives them a thumbs-up. Strathairn is looking at the screen and radios that everything looks fine. The second round is still slow, but Tom hits the accelerator when he crosses the finish line. He wants to simulate a racing situation. Then he does another one.

  Faith is glad that they are in Sepang and not at a more difficult course. If this was Suzuka, she would be worried, indeed. And the track is empty; apart from themselves, there are only two teams around today.

  At the end of round four, Tom stops on the finish line and simulates a race start. Then he returns to the garage.

  “Close the gate”, Faith commands while Tom is getting out of the car. When he takes of the balaclava, he smiles like a child.

  “Wow”, he says. “Wow, wow, wow. Brilliant. This is amazing. Guys, this is such a treat!”

  He hands the helmet to Deniz and turns around to look at Faith. She feels her throat tighten. She has never seen him glowing with pride and joy before.

  Strathairn takes over. “The data look promising. What else can you tell us, except that it’s amazing?”

  Tom switches back into a more professional mode, but his eyes continue to shine. “It’s good, almost all around. Nothing is shaky, but we’re going to need some weight here, and here, I believe.” Then they gather around the map of the track, and Tom explains what he has noticed at every turn, whenever he had been hitting the breaks or accelerated. The drivers are attentive, every question is being taken care of. Faith withdraws to a quiet corner and types a thank you to Mori that she does not send. She cannot really thank him for letting her have this man, who is working a miracle right in front of her eyes. Without him, they would be struggling. With him, they are thriving. And she does not mind any more that he has asked her to wear a team outfit when they are on the race track. Claymore is reinventing themselves, all thanks to Tom.

  He goes out a couple of times that day, making sure that both cars and the spare are safe for the drivers to take over the next day. In the afternoon, he is wearing a bandage. Strathairn says, “We’re in it now.” Tom is still high. Faith is content. She even smiles when Mori drops by at the controls in the pit lane.

  “Your driver has been busy”, he says. “Is everything alright?”

  He knows, she thinks. “Everything is coming together”, she assures him.

  “That’s good. Best of luck.”

  “To you, too. And thank you for everything.”

  He nods and walks away. He is not going to let her off, but at this level it is alright.

  Tom’s work cannot be measured. She has not exaggerated when she had told Mori that everything was coming together. He asks Faith to let the team off on Thursday afternoon. “They are doing a fine job. The cars are going to hold the distance. Let them feel that they have earned some rest.”

  She understands. Show some appreciation. They are going to sleep the day away, or play on their consoles, or whatever. But they will return on Friday and compete. She says, “Have some fun. On Friday we’re going to kick ass again.”

  Then she herself just goes to bed.