The Team // A Formula One AU

Carlos

I can win the championship if I win the race this weekend.

I can win the championship. Of course it's an outsiders' chance, I need Max and George to finish outside of the points and even then it will be a three-way tie for the title, but the possibility is there.

"Tom's announcements make me so nervous," Charles mumbles beside me in the changing room. Both of his legs are jiggling up and down as he fiddles with a race boot in his hand.

"It's probably just another pep talk," George says, although he doesn't seem so sure.

The atmosphere is tense. We're all agitated about this being the penultimate day of the season and we still don't know what will happen to us after the season ends. Most of our flights home are already booked but I don't want to think about that now. It's hard to concentrate on the race weekend when it feels like this family could be coming to an end.

"Listen up lads," Tom walks in at last and stands up at the front of the room. Peter, Erik and Weird Old Phil stand with him. "This is the last qualifying session of the season, your last chance to show what you can do in one hot lap. Then tomorrow it's our last race together and we'll be crowning our champion."

Lando woops from beside me, clearly not picking up on the vibe of the room. Something still tells me this is more than just a pep talk.

"And after that?" Daniel asks, tentatively biting on the bait.

Tom makes a face halfway between a smile and a grimace.

"Then it's the end Fortress World Karting."

My stomach twists. Our principal pulled this trick last week with the cancelled race in Seattle, but now I'm not so sure he's bluffing. We sit in stunned silence. He kept saying there would be no second season, but none of us believed him.

"Are you serious?" George finally breaks the silence.

"I'm serious," Tom nods. "Fortress World Karting will end after tomorrow's race."

"Is it because of sponsors?" I ask frantically. "We can try harder, maybe we can find something over the summer, we can't have gotten nothing!"

"Yeah, we filmed so many videos!"

"And gave so many interviews..."

"Listen, listen!" Tom hold up his hands for quiet. "There is some good news, lads."

He reaches into his bag and pulls out a stack of papers and Charles rolls his eyes, slumping back on our bench. "A lesson?" he asks.

"It's our sponsors," I mutter. "To fund our next year of karting."

"Both wrong," Tom claps his hands, breaking into an unsettling smile. "You've all been offered contracts to race in Formula Three cars."

"What!?"

My mouth hangs open. Formula Three? Moving up to cars? We all have contracts?

"How can we all be racing in Formula Three?"

"Take a look." Tom starts handing out the papers, moving around the room as he draws everyone's name in turn. I'm one of the last to get mine, but I'm not sure I'm so eager to find out. If we're all moving to different teams that means this dream is truly finished.

Daniel makes a noise like he's choking. "This says Fortress World Racing."

"Mine too!"

"What's Fortress World Racing..."

I snatch my contract as soon as Tom gets close enough. "Tom!?"

Our principal breaks into an enormous grin. "Surprise!"

My wide eyes fall pack to the paper in my shaking hands. My name is at the top in curly writing, looking halfway between a contract and a certificate, followed by the familiar-but-not-familiar team name. But the second page is what really catches my eye.

"We're racing in Europe?" I ask. Tom nods and suddenly everyone is flicking to the second page.

"Silverstone!" George leaps to his feet.

"Monaco..." Charles whispers, then he sniffs, swiping at his eyes.

I scan the list and have to reread it a few times to truly believe it. Week four – Spain.

"That's right. Our next season will be taking place in Europe on some of the very best tracks Formula One has to offer. We'll be racing together in our own series again, but this time in Formula Three cars. That means more speed, more complex driving, more engineering possibilities and more valuable experience on your roads to the top. If anyone would like to borrow a pen, I have some right here."

Tom grins and six people jump forward to snatch one from his hand. I pull my own out of my bag and flick to the back page. I know contracts are supposed to be signed in the presence of a lawyer, or at least my parents, but this seems more ceremonial than legal.

"The paper isn't the real contract," Tom says as if reading my mind, "but it's full of information about the cars, the races, and our sponsorship. But you can't read that all now, quali starts in five minutes!"

I grimace with stress, tearing my eyes away from my name signed on the dotted line. I completely forgot about that.

I pull on my gloves and stand up as Charles walks forward and squeezes Tom in a tight hug, then Daniel seems to agree with this idea and it soon becomes a group affair. I'm dragged in by Lando and squashed by Checo from behind.

"Alright lads," Tom laughs awkwardly. "You're welcome."

"I can't believe you kept this secret," Max shakes his head and punches Tom's arm playfully as the hug disbands.

"It wasn't easy, especially with you guys constantly asking about it."

I file my contract carefully in my race folder and pull on my helmet. If I thought it was hard to focus before, it's even more difficult now with the excited chatter all around me. I suppose this is one of those times when Erik's psychological resilience training is meant to come in useful.

Visor down, deep breaths. I glance around at my teammates one more time to savour this moment, then brush past the others and head out to the garage and my kart, already set up for the final qualifying of the season.