The afternoon sun blazed over the Bahrain circuit, the asphalt shimmering under the intense light.
One hour before the race, the car had successfully passed scrutineering.
Twenty minutes before lights out, Alex Sun returned to the pit bay after finishing his interview. Race engineer Mark was already waiting, holding an updated track data report. Red annotations highlighted sprint-race tyre degradation forecasts and lap-time charts for each driver.
Mark handed him the tablet and gave his shoulder a reassuring pat, his eyes showing both encouragement and confidence.
"Don't be nervous. Just stick to what we went over after Friday's qualifying. Remember, the sprint race is only 23 laps, no pit stops. The pace is quicker than the feature race, so reactions matter more.
Once you're on the grid, we'll do a final tyre and pressure check. Control your RPMs at the launch, and keep the TR communication points I taught you in mind. You'll be fine."
Alex Sun nodded, his expression steady. He pulled on his sweat-wicking balaclava, secured the HANS device, and headed for the car. The mechanics had already pushed it to the edge of the track. With the pit lane close by, he quickened his pace.
For this sprint race, the top ten from qualifying were reversed. As the driver who qualified eleventh, Alex Sun's starting position remained unchanged. The grid order was as follows:
Theo Pourchaire (qualified 10th) — Jehan Daruvala (qualified 9th)
Armstrong (qualified 8th) — Liam Lawson (qualified 7th)
Richard Verschoor (qualified 6th) — Dan Ticktum (qualified 5th)
Felipe Drugovich (qualified 4th) — Oscar Piastri (Prema Powerteam, qualified 3rd)
Christian Lundgaard (ART Grand Prix, qualified 2nd) — Guanyu Zhou (UNI-Virtuosi, qualified 1st / pole)
Alex Sun (Prema Powerteam, qualified 11th) — Ralph Boschung (qualified 12th)
The remaining ten drivers were omitted.
Ten minutes before the start, the mechanics swarmed in to complete the final system checks and tyre pressure confirmation. Mark verified that all systems were operating normally.
With Mark's help, Alex Sun lowered himself into the monocoque, adjusted the headrest, fitted the steering wheel, and powered up the car to begin system checks. He plugged his earpiece into the onboard TR system and finally put on his helmet.
"Alex Sun, radio check. Can you hear me clearly?" Mark's voice came through.
"Loud and clear," Alex Sun replied.
Five minutes before the race, five red lights illuminated in the distance, signaling that all drivers had one minute to be in their cars. The race was imminent.
After the officials completed the standard pre-race announcements, one of the five red lights went out, prompting team personnel to clear the track immediately.
Mark gestured for the mechanic to remove the cooling blower from Alex Sun's helmet and spoke solemnly.
"The sprint race is about to start. Give it everything—no holding back. We're clearing out now. Good luck."
Alex Sun nodded. "Watch me."
As the crew withdrew, only three red lights remained. At that point, only FIA personnel were still on the track.
Soon, three lights became two, and as the second light went out, drivers across the grid fired up their engines.
The roar of twenty-two V6 engines thundered through the circuit.
When the final two red lights extinguished, only the starter remained on track.
Alex Sun slipped back into his state of man and machine as one. His emotions settled, his mind emptied of everything but racing. The machine beneath him felt fully alive once more on the Bahrain circuit.
A yellow flag waved behind the grid. The five red lights turned green, and the formation lap began.
Alex Sun eased onto the throttle, following the cars ahead in grid order, maintaining a steady pace and safe gap. He worked the steering wheel aggressively, weaving the car while combining sharp throttle inputs and firm braking to transfer heat from the brake discs into the tyres, rapidly building temperature.
As he warmed the tyres, he monitored surface grip and used the steering-wheel controls to test DRS activation and gearbox shifts.
Mark's voice came through the headset.
"23 laps, no mandatory stop. C4 softs, medium-high degradation. Focus on consistency. Tyre pressures normal, brake feedback stable. Watch the track edges at the blind Turn 10."
"Copy," Alex Sun replied.
Returning to the main straight, he deliberately widened the gap to the car ahead. Every second of delay meant the front car's tyres cooled slightly, reducing launch grip—making overtaking at the start easier.
Alex Sun stopped precisely on his grid slot as the cars behind him rolled into position. The car ahead had settled earlier, its tyre temperature dropping slightly. With warmer tyres, Alex Sun felt confident.
The one-minute countdown sounded. The track was fully sealed, and the Safety Car parked at the rear of the grid.
Under the bright sunlight, five red lights illuminated one by one. The circuit fell into near silence, broken only by the low rumble of idling engines.
Alex Sun gripped the steering wheel tightly, eyes locked on the lights while quickly scanning the five cars around him, judging their launch posture.
One second.
Two.
Three—
The instant all five red lights went out, the race began.
Alex Sun released the clutch button and buried the throttle. The engine howled as the car launched forward like a missile.
His full ability unleashed, he rocketed off the line and immediately latched onto the rear of Lundgaard's car.
"Tyre temp 72°C—watch for wheelspin!" Mark warned.
Alex Sun was fully locked in. He felt every vibration through the steering wheel, eyes fixed on Guanyu Zhou's car just ahead to the right. His foot stayed planted, using his superior launch to keep closing in.
Midway down the main straight, he caught Guanyu Zhou slightly off rhythm, pulled to the inside line, and completed the overtake cleanly on the straight.
"Beautiful! You passed Guanyu Zhou on the straight—watch Lundgaard ahead!" Mark exclaimed.
Alex Sun didn't hesitate. He surged forward again, closing rapidly on Lundgaard.
The braking zone for Turn 1 rushed toward him.
He glanced at the dash—tyre temperature at 80°C, still short of optimal. Ahead lay Bahrain's low-speed Turn 1 hairpin.
At the 125-meter mark, he slammed the brakes at 90% force. The nose dipped slightly but remained stable. Under 2.5G of longitudinal load, he locked onto the apex and downshifted smoothly into the corner.
Guanyu Zhou, now behind, kept his rhythm intact and prepared for turn-in. Lundgaard, however, hadn't expected such an explosive start. The pressure disrupted his entry, his line drifting just enough.
Alex Sun seized the opening. He dove down the inside with perfect steering input, clipped the apex cleanly, and powered out on a superior line. On exit, he carried nearly 8 km/h more speed than Lundgaard.
That advantage was decisive.
On the short straight after Turn 1, Alex Sun swept past Lundgaard, the position indicator instantly jumping to ninth.
"My god, Alex! That launch and exit were incredible! But tyre temps aren't fully settled yet—manage the pace!" Mark said, excitement mixed with caution.
Alex Sun only felt exhilaration. He didn't lift, stretching the gap to the pack behind, his eyes already locked on the car ahead in eighth place—his teammate, Piastri.
That was his next target.
...
(20 Chapters Ahead)
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