Every year, engineering students at the University of Sheffield build a race car from scratch, then take it to Silverstone each summer to compete against other university teams. This year, Sheffield Formula Racing is going electric, betting a full season of work on a battery system nobody on the team has built before.

A serious incident in June nearly ended the project outright, forcing the team to rebuild its safety procedures under pressure. By the time they reach Silverstone in July, the car still hasn’t turned a wheel, and a faculty advisor rules it too dangerous to run. With one day of competition left, a single intervention gives the students a shot at proving the year wasn’t wasted after all.