Just as Alex Sun had finished adjusting his mindset and was ready to head out, the circuit broadcast rang out on cue, breaking the brief calm in the pit lane:
"Qualifying Q2 is about to begin. The clock will officially start at 18:30."
The announcement had barely ended when Prema's mechanics immediately picked up the pace, carrying out final checks on the car's critical components. Alex Sun lowered himself into the cockpit as the technicians swiftly secured his six-point harness, while simultaneously confirming the steering wheel buttons and radio link.
"Alex Sun, radio check. Acknowledge if received."
Mark's voice came through the radio, steady, with a hint of anticipation.
"Radio clear. Car feels good. Ready to go anytime."
Alex Sun wrapped his hands around the steering wheel, his fingertips brushing the familiar carbon-fiber texture. The calm he had regained during the break shattered as his heartbeat quickened once more.
He gently turned the wheel, checking the steering response, eyes locked on the pit exit ahead. Behind the visor, eagerness and resolve burned side by side.
"Qualifying Q2 officially begins. Timing is live!"
The broadcast and radio message arrived almost simultaneously. Mark followed up immediately:
"Alex Sun, you can leave the pits now. Focus on setting a clean, valid lap first. Don't push too hard—lock in a baseline time before anything else. Track traffic looks good. Go!"
Alex Sun tapped the TR button in acknowledgment and eased onto the throttle. The engine responded with a deep roar as the revs climbed steadily to 3,000. The car rolled smoothly out of the garage and onto the circuit, beginning an out lap to bring the tyres up to temperature. Before long, both tyre and brake temperatures stabilized around the optimal 90°C window.
After the out lap, he entered the timing zone and launched into his first flying lap of Q2.
At the line, the screen flashed: 1:43.719.
A valid lap. Temporarily P10—right on the edge of the cutoff.
Completing the lap, Alex Sun didn't hesitate. He immediately transitioned into a cool-down lap, keeping the engine in the low-to-mid rev range to let both the power unit and tyres cool naturally before rolling straight into his second push lap. With Q2 so short, there was no time to waste.
This time, he leaned harder on the car, applying each technique with precision.
He crossed the line again.
1:43.650.
His name jumped up to P9.
Another cool-down lap followed before he guided the car smoothly back into the pit box. Mechanics swarmed around him, quickly checking tyre wear and overall condition.
Mark stared at the data screen, monitoring the evolving situation on track. Guanyu Zhou had gone quickest with a 1:43.117, Lundgaard close behind. On the other side of the garage, Piastri had set a 1:43.613, sitting P8 for the moment.
Alex Sun remained in the cockpit, taking a brief breather. Carlos passed him an electrolyte drink, and he took a couple of sips while watching the live standings on the large overhead screen.
Q2 lasted only ten minutes. Between the formation lap, two flying laps, and two cool-down laps, seven minutes were already gone. Just three minutes remained—and the intensity on track skyrocketed.
Front-runners like Guanyu Zhou and Lundgaard kept chipping away at their times, while several midfield drivers found sudden improvements. Alex Sun's 1:43.650 was beaten again and again, his position sliding down the order until it finally settled at P10.
Right on the knife edge.
Mark's heart jumped. He shouted urgently over the radio:
"Alex! Get ready to head out now! You're sitting exactly on the cutoff. There's a brief window with great grip—this is your chance. Go for a third flying lap! Push everything you've got and lock it in!"
The crew ripped off the tyre warmers. Alex Sun tightened his grip on the wheel and surged back onto the track.
Exiting Turn 15, he used every inch of asphalt, planting his foot hard.
As soon as he entered the DRS zone, he activated the system. The flattened rear wing unleashed more straight-line speed. He timed it perfectly, crossing into the timing zone just before Q2 expired—his third flying lap officially began.
Down the main straight, the speed climbed to 290 km/h. Alex Sun judged the braking point with absolute confidence, slamming on the brakes at the 125-meter board. The car decelerated violently, the six-point harness locking him into place against the crushing longitudinal G-forces.
He fought the 20 N·m torque through the steering wheel, guiding the car through nearly 3G of lateral load. As he bled off the brakes, he sliced cleanly through Turn 1, carrying optimal speed onto the short straight toward Turn 2.
Balancing the car on the very edge of rear grip, he carved through Turn 2 like a machine, then swung wide to the right, flooring it through the high-speed Turn 3 and onto the second straight.
DRS opened again the instant he hit the zone, the engine's thrust pinning him to the seat. A precise braking input before Turn 4 sent the car snapping into the corner.
Out of the apex, he drew a razor-sharp line, full throttle, clearing Turn 4 in one fluid motion.
"Nice! Sector one is green—keep it going!"
Mark called out as he studied the telemetry.
Alex Sun didn't respond. He was completely absorbed.
Turn 5 disappeared in a blink. Before Turn 6, he eased off slightly, dabbed the brakes, and cut across the kerb. Steering and throttle worked in perfect harmony as he blasted through the high-speed S-curves of Turns 6 and 7. Ahead of Turn 8, he trailed the brakes and lined the car up for the short straight into Turn 9.
Then came Turn 10—the most difficult corner of Sector 2, if not the entire Bahrain circuit.
A blind downhill left-hander, with no clear braking markers and a constant threat of lock-up. Yet the speed carried through it dictated the velocity down the long straight that followed.
For Alex Sun, it posed no problem.
Countless laps of practice had burned the corner into his instincts. Using a distant lighthouse as his reference, he hit the brakes—70% pressure—came off the throttle, downshifted smoothly, and fed in steering lock.
Perfect.
He clipped the apex, rolled on 50% throttle, and as the car straightened, buried the pedal, launching himself toward Sector 3.
On the long straight, DRS activated immediately. Within 100 meters of Turn 11, a single, decisive brake application and downshift hurled the car into the corner.
The setup was flawless. Through Turns 11 and 12, the car flowed with effortless balance.
"Unbelievable! Alex, you're purple in Sector 2! You just broke the F2 lap record through Turn 10 at Bahrain—90 km/h through there, that's insane!"
Mark's excitement finally spilled over the radio.
He quickly scanned the live data and added urgently:
"Cars ahead are on cool-down laps in Sector 3. Be careful when you catch them—keep your distance!"
But Alex Sun, locked into the state of complete man-machine unity, didn't register the warning.
After clearing Turn 13, he surged onto the main straight. Only then did he vaguely notice a car ahead exiting Turn 14.
Halfway down the straight, a yellow flag suddenly flashed at trackside.
In Formula 2, yellow meant danger ahead. Drivers must slow down. No overtaking. No valid lap times.
Only then did Alex Sun see it clearly.
The car ahead had spun.
It was Richard Verschoor.
Too much throttle out of Turn 15 had instantly broken rear grip, and just like Latifi earlier, his car sat sideways across the track.
"Attention! Yellow flag ahead! Car stopped at Turn 15—slow down immediately and avoid it!"
Mark shouted over the radio, panic rising as Alex Sun showed no immediate signs of lifting.
"Alex Sun, yellow flag! Lift now. The lap's gone—don't risk a penalty."
The roar of Mark's voice snapped Alex Sun out of his trance.
Frustration twisted his expression, mixed with helpless anger. Gritting his teeth, he backed off decisively, threaded past the stationary car, and completed the lap.
At the line, the timing flashed: green, purple, yellow—1:44.586.
It wasn't an improvement.
His earlier lap left him P11.
Just outside the cutoff.
Eliminated.
The moment he saw the result, Alex Sun slammed his fist into the steering wheel.
"Who the hell spins during a cool-down lap?! Is that even possible? I'm so damn pissed off!!"
The final outburst came in his native language. Mark didn't understand the words, but he understood the feeling perfectly. Two flawless sectors, ruined in the last by someone else's mistake—any driver would be furious.
"You did everything you could, Alex Sun," Mark said quietly. "You gave it your all. No one could've predicted that. That's motorsport—brutal, but real. The world turns like a wheel. No one knows what the next second brings."
Alex Sun eased off the pace and guided the car back toward the pit lane. Beneath the helmet, disappointment weighed heavily on his face. Exhaustion and regret blended together, leaving him momentarily speechless.
Back in Prema's pit box, he removed his helmet and balaclava. Sweat streaked down his temples and cheeks. Carlos handed him an electrolyte drink and gave his shoulder a reassuring pat.
Alex Sun took it, eyes locked on the Q2 classification glowing on the garage screen, frustration burning in his gaze.
Nearby, his teammate Piastri had advanced into Q3 and was already discussing strategy with the engineers.
Alex Sun watched him with quiet envy.
Mark walked over, his expression serious.
"The stewards have informed us that your delayed response in the yellow flag zone is under investigation. We explained that you were fully focused and may not have heard the warning in time, but the infringement still stands.
"Team Principal Rosin pushed hard for you. Final decision: no Super Licence points deducted. However, you'll receive a three-place grid penalty for the race. You'll also need to report to the stewards after the race for a formal interview."
Alex Sun fell silent. Now fully calm, he accepted responsibility.
"Understood."
"Relax, kid," Mark said, his tone softening. "I know what you're capable of. This is just one hurdle. Clear it, and there's nothing stopping you. Every setback has its upside."
Who would have thought that the same Mark who'd been so critical during winter testing would now wink at him with a grin.
As the checkered flag waved in Q3, qualifying officially came to an end.
The final starting grid was released moments later.
Guanyu Zhou pulled off a last-second miracle, snatching pole position by just 0.003 seconds—the narrowest pole margin in that race's qualifying history.
Guanyu Zhou (UNI-Virtuosi, Car No. 3) topped the charts with a blistering 1:42.848, securing pole.
Christian Lundgaard (ART Grand Prix, Car No. 9) followed with a 1:42.851, only 0.003 seconds adrift.
Oscar Piastri (Prema Powerteam, car #2) claimed third with a 1:43.211, 0.363 seconds off the lead, locking in a crucial front-row result for Prema Racing.
The rest of the order: Felipe Drugovich, Dan Ticktum, Richard Verschoor, Liam Lawson, Armstrong, Jehan Daruvala, Theo Pourchaire, and Alex Sun.
After the yellow flag incident and the penalty that followed, Alex Sun silently swore never again to waste an opportunity—or be punished for missing critical information.
Having completed the qualifying objective in the Side Quest, he invested both earned attribute points into Emergency Reaction, determined not to let such a mistake happen again.
He also unexpectedly unlocked the "Man and Machine as One" attribute—maximizing panel stats during every drive—which boosted his confidence heading into tomorrow's two sprint races.
Below is Alex Sun's attribute panel:
Alex Sun's System Panel:
Launch Control: 40 (42, Bahrain Circuit Elite Track Proficiency +5% to all attributes)
Driving Technique: 70 (74, Bahrain Circuit Elite Track Proficiency +5% to all attributes)
Resource Management: 30 (32, Bahrain Circuit Elite Track Proficiency +5% to all attributes)
Track Tactics: 40 (42, Bahrain Circuit Elite Track Proficiency +5% to all attributes)
Physical Endurance: 65 (68, Bahrain Circuit Elite Track Proficiency +5% to all attributes)
Emergency Reaction: 32 (Base 30 +2 points) (34, Bahrain Circuit Elite Track Proficiency +5% to all attributes)
Bahrain Circuit Elite 100%
(Current Level Bonus: +5% Permanent to All Attributes)
[Unlocked Traits]
[Diligence Pays Off]: Each effective practice lap increases current Track Proficiency by 5%
[Man and Machine as One]: Every drive maximizes the vehicle's listed attributes