The tire smoke from winter testing had yet to fully dissipate over the Sakhir Circuit, but Alex Sun was already firmly rooted in the simulator training room.
For seven straight days, he had practically treated the cockpit as his bed and the data screens as his pillow. Carlos's customized physical training wrung every last bit of strength from his body, while Lina's meticulously compiled track analysis reports were so well used their edges had begun to curl.
Thankfully, the "Diligence Pays Off" entry delivered exactly as promised. His Bahrain Circuit proficiency surged from 70% "Mastery" straight into the "Elite" tier. Every racing line, braking point, and throttle rhythm through each corner had been carved into muscle memory.
"Bzzz—"
The simulator's engine note suddenly trembled, and the system notification cut straight through his fatigue:
[Bahrain Circuit Proficiency has reached Elite level!
All attributes on this circuit permanently increased by 5%.]
(Current stats: Launch Control 42, Driving Technique 74, Resource Management 32, Track Tactics 42, Physical Endurance 68, Emergency Reaction 32)
A warm surge swept through his entire body. It wasn't simple recovery—it was a complete elevation of his perception of the track itself.
Alex Sun's awareness sharpened dramatically. Even subtle changes in gradient and minute differences in surface grip registered with crystal clarity.
He clenched his fist. This 5% boost wasn't just a number—it was the confidence he needed to close the gap to the front-runners and truly gain a foothold in F2.
The 2021 F2 Bahrain race weekend arrived right on schedule, desert heat mixing with the thunder of engines to envelop the circuit.
The opening day featured just one 45-minute Free Practice 1 (FP1) session. On the surface, it seemed routine, but in reality it held the key to survival in qualifying—when Q1 to Q3 began at 6 p.m., milliseconds would decide the starting order.
With F2's spec cars, finding the setup "sweet spot" mattered even more than raw talent.
Alex Sun's objective was clear: use these 45 minutes to finalize the setup, understand the car's behavior, and lay the groundwork for qualifying.
At this early stage of his push toward the F2 Drivers' Championship, every single point mattered.
After all, who would have thought that just two points could decide Norris's 2025 World Drivers' Championship?
Inside the Prema garage, mechanical noise echoed nonstop as the crew completed final adjustments based on data from the winter test seven days earlier.
Race engineer Mark walked up to Alex Sun with the setup sheet in hand, his tone calm but authoritative.
"Front wing eight degrees, rear wing twelve. Run FP1 using your winter test configuration to establish a baseline."
That 1:43.982 lap from winter testing had earned recognition for Alex Sun's progress, but the team's working philosophy was still conservative—"secure the midfield first." This aero setup would ensure a clean run, but it didn't reflect the seven days of relentless effort he had poured in.
A technician stepped over and handed Alex Sun the car status confirmation sheet.
After signing, Alex Sun reviewed the setup parameters—and almost immediately realized how conservative it was.
He turned to Mark, his voice steady and firm.
"This aero setup doesn't suit where I am now. The configuration refined through thousands of simulator runs fits me better. Increase the front wing angle and slightly reduce the rear wing. We'll gain straight-line speed, and there's still enough downforce margin in high-speed corners to support full-throttle exits. I'll give real-time feedback—we can fine-tune on the spot."
Mark held his gaze, studying the certainty in his eyes. Three seconds passed before he waved his hand decisively.
"Make the changes according to his simulator data."
The adjustments were completed quickly. Alex Sun put on his helmet, secured the HANS device, and climbed into the cockpit. The system panel lit up, triggering a new side quest:
[Side Quest Triggered: Bahrain Race Weekend Breakthrough]
Requirements:
FP1: First flying lap ≤ 1:43.9, no mistakes. Unlock exclusive setup.
Qualifying: Advance to Q2, finish ≥ P15.
Both Sprint Races: Finish ≥ P10.
Feature Race: Finish ≥ P12.
Rewards:
FP1 success: Unlock Bahrain-specific optimized setup approach.
Cumulative completion: +6 Free Attribute Points.
Full completion bonus: Track Tactics +3, Emergency Reaction +3, Track Proficiency +10%.
Alex Sun took a deep breath, calmed his emotions, and tightened the six-point harness. After a quick check of the steering wheel controls, he gave the mechanic a clear signal.
"Vroom—"
The engine growled low, like a predator waking from slumber.
The marshal raised the green flag. Alex Sun gently fed in the throttle, holding the revs at around 3,000 RPM as the car rolled out of the pit bay.
The engine note climbed steadily, his heartbeat matching it beat for beat. Sitting atop this mechanical beast and preparing to race—it was a feeling that never failed to captivate him.
Friday morning at Bahrain was scorching. The temperature held at 27°C, dry air carrying the raw heat of the desert.
As practice began, drivers headed out one after another to work through their setup programs.
On the out lap, Alex Sun gently weaved left and right. Tire temperatures climbed—85°C, 88°C, 90°C—finally settling into the optimal window. Brake temperatures followed suit.
Mark's voice came through the radio, tinged with restrained tension.
"Tire and brake temps are good. Go for your first reference lap. Keep the rhythm and run your pace."
The moment he entered the main straight, Alex Sun's eyes sharpened. Wind noise drowned out everything else. Steering inputs were precise to the millimeter, throttle modulation as measured as a machine's.
The car surged forward like an arrow cutting through the air. A light brush of the brakes before Turn 10, the chassis hugging the racing line on entry. The instant he floored the throttle on exit, the surge of acceleration slammed him into the seat.
Across the line—
1:43.872!
Not only had he met the 1:43.9 target, he'd beaten his winter test best of 1:43.982 by 0.11 seconds. The gap to teammate Piastri's current lap (1:43.663) had shrunk to just 0.209 seconds.
The time had barely locked in when the system notification appeared:
[Phase Objective Complete: FP1 first lap target achieved.
Bahrain-exclusive optimized setup approach unlocked.]
"Beautiful, Alex Sun!" Mark's voice was openly excited now.
"Telemetry shows slight downforce deficiency at Turn 10. Increase front wing by one degree to nine—should gain another 2 km/h on corner exit."
"Copy. With more front-end grip, I can go full throttle earlier in high-speed corners," Alex Sun replied.
In the pit bay, Mark immediately called out,
"Box, box. Come in for adjustments—now!"
Alex Sun brought the car back in. The crew was ready, completing the front wing adjustment in under 20 seconds—efficiency on par with F1 standards.
Back on track, the difference was immediate. High-speed corner grip improved noticeably—cleaner entries, stronger exits. His lap time comfortably cleared the Q1 cutoff at 1:43.768.
Once the qualifying-style runs were complete, the crew quickly switched to white tires and refueled the car halfway for long-run testing.
Alex Sun knew the purpose of these 45 minutes wasn't just raw lap time. It was about verifying setup stability over long stints and gathering tire data for the sprint races and feature race to come.
He settled into a steady rhythm, driving smoothly and cleanly with zero mistakes. Telemetry traces were clean and consistent throughout.
As time passed, track temperature climbed to 32°C—nearly identical to the expected conditions for evening qualifying. It was a true test for both car and driver.
Yet the car, firmly in its setup sweet spot, remained remarkably stable. Lap time fluctuations caused by fuel load and tire wear were perfectly smoothed out. Grip through consecutive corners stayed precise, with no hint of instability.
Alex Sun knew that in real F2 sprint races and the feature race, long-distance performance hinged on tire durability and fuel strategy—factors that directly determined every point. This was his chance to extract meaningful data.
After a 25-lap long run, the white tires remained stable, lap times exactly as expected.
Mid-run testing exposed the weakness of the yellow tires—no clear pace advantage, yet wear rates approaching those of the red tires. They were immediately ruled out as a strategic option.
Meanwhile, his fastest lap on soft tires had improved to 1:43.671—right on the edge of the Q3 cutoff.
The competitive landscape was now clear. At the top, Guanyu Zhou and Lundgaard were circulating around 1:43.00.
The projected Q3 cutoff sat at roughly 1:43.70, Q2 at 1:43.90. The midfield clustered between 1:43.30 and 1:44.00, with the backmarkers above that.
Alex Sun's 1:43.671 not only secured Q2—it gave him a real shot at Q3.
More importantly, he was just 0.008 seconds behind Piastri—virtually identical pace. Behind him, drivers like Ralph Boschung and Richard Verschoor were firmly covered. He had planted himself at the upper end of the midfield, completely shedding the backmarker label.
The checkered flag waved. Practice was over.
Alex Sun's best lap remained 1:43.671—zero mistakes from start to finish.
In the 32°C heat, his 74-point Endurance meant only a light sheen of sweat on his forehead, breathing steady and controlled. Gone were the winter test days when a few laps left him drenched.
Back in the pit bay, the car came to a stop. Alex Sun removed the steering wheel and climbed out of the monocoque.
Mark hurried over, grabbed his shoulders, and gave them a firm pat, his voice brimming with excitement and admiration.
"Unbelievable! This custom setup is practically tailor-made for you—no issues at all in high-temperature long runs. We're sticking with this for the rest of the weekend. I seriously underestimated your talent. From here on, the whole team backs you for qualifying—target is Q2!"
Lina rushed over with the analysis report, handing it to Alex Sun, clearly energized.
"Alex, this was fantastic. Next we'll fine-tune the exit rhythm for Turns 10 and 15. On fresh tires in qualifying, Q2 is solid—and Q3 is absolutely within reach!"
Alex Sun accepted the report, eyes scanning the data curves as a faint smile tugged at his lips.
He knew this result came not only from relentless winter testing, but also from the system's support.
But this was only the beginning. His goal had never been just Q2 or Q3—it was pole position, victory, and truly establishing himself in F2.
"F2 official media—may we do a quick interview?" a professional voice cut in.
A reporter holding a credential badge approached with a cameraman, eyes fixed on Alex Sun.
"We noticed that you and Guanyu Zhou come from the same country. You set an impressive 1:43.671 today, a significant improvement over winter testing. How does it feel?"
Alex Sun wiped the sweat from his temple, straightened his suit collar, and answered calmly.
"First, I have to thank the team. This setup lets me adapt perfectly to the track. Today was mainly about validating the setup and collecting data. The result exceeded expectations and gives me more confidence for qualifying."
"Will you be paying close attention to Guanyu Zhou's performance? Any short-term goals?" the reporter followed up.
"Guanyu Zhou is a senior driver worth learning from," Alex Sun replied after a brief pause, his gaze steady.
"My short-term goals are clear: secure Q2, score points in the sprint race and feature race, and build step by step."
The three-minute interview wrapped up. After polite farewells, the reporter immediately turned to chase after Guanyu Zhou and the other front-runners.
Mark chuckled softly at Alex Sun's side.
"A solid start. Once you're in Q3 and standing on the podium, the media will be chasing you instead. For now, let's get ready for qualifying."
Alex Sun nodded, his gaze returning to the Sakhir Circuit glowing gold under the setting sun.
For the first time, he found himself genuinely looking forward to the evening's qualifying session.
...
(20 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser