The champagne spray from the Imola Grand Prix had barely faded when Alex Sun finished typing his congratulatory message to the newly crowned champion, Verstappen. Without wasting a moment, he headed straight back to the Prema Racing base.
Earlier, using the VIP tickets rewarded by the system, he had spent three full days observing from Red Bull Racing's pit bay. From up close, he carefully studied Verstappen's rhythm through Imola's key corners and his throttle control techniques. Those top-tier skills were still vividly etched in his mind.
The moment he returned to the base, Alex Sun went straight into the simulator room without the slightest delay.
He calmed himself and methodically organized everything he had absorbed over the past three days—from corner entry lines and throttle application to exit timing. Not a single detail was left out.
Once he was done, he put on his helmet, powered up the simulator, and began repeatedly recreating and refining those elite techniques.
Taking into account the characteristics of an F2 car, Alex Sun made targeted adjustments to Verstappen's methods.
The braking points before turn-in and the throttle opening at the apex were constantly corrected through repeated attempts.
While polishing these techniques, Alex Sun specifically asked Verstappen again about F2-specific adaptations for the Tamburello corner. Verstappen held nothing back, not only explaining the core principles clearly but also adding extra guidance on braking force and rhythm control unique to F2 cars.
This unreserved technical exchange deepened Alex Sun's understanding even further.
Lap after lap, he continued practicing. When a clear lap time finally popped up on the simulator screen, he stopped. Compared to before, the time was 0.5 seconds quicker—precisely meeting the system's benchmark requirement for the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari.
Almost at the same moment, the system notification sounded. A warm surge of enhancement flowed through his limbs, sharpening his feel for the car's handling.
"Finally hit the target," Alex Sun muttered, rubbing his aching shoulders.
He looked back at the Imola track interface still displayed on the screen. As the initial excitement faded, a new realization suddenly crossed his mind.
The trail-braking and weight-transfer techniques he'd just refined for Imola's corners—couldn't they also apply to Monaco's series of continuous deceleration turns?
The thought instantly energized him, and he instinctively reached for his helmet again.
But as soon as he lifted his arm, soreness shot through his muscles, his fingertips even tingling slightly.
After nearly four hours of high-intensity training, his body was already at its limit. Forcing himself further would only be counterproductive.
"Forget it. I'll try tomorrow," Alex Sun said with a wry smile. He stood up, shut down the simulator, and dragged his exhausted body out of the training room.
Outside, the night had fully settled in. Only a few offices in the base were still lit, and the air carried a lingering mix of machinery and rubber.
Early the next morning, Alex Sun completed his essential daily physical training first—core strength, cardiovascular endurance, and reaction-speed drills. These were the foundation that supported intense simulator sessions and real races, and he had never allowed himself to slack off.
Only after finishing his workout did he return to the simulator room, refreshed and focused.
After a brief warm-up, he loaded the virtual Circuit de Monaco and began testing the new idea that had struck him the night before.
To his surprise, with the refined Imola techniques and the attribute boost, his Monaco lap time improved by a full 0.3 seconds, finally breaking through a plateau he had been stuck at for a long time.
"It works." Alex Sun's eyes lit up as his next path forward became clear.
Follow the F1 calendar and attend races in person to absorb top-level experience. Return to digest those techniques through targeted training, complete system tasks to trigger attribute boosts, then reuse the strengthened abilities in simulator practice to improve lap times. A closed, efficient growth loop.
Over the next ten days, Alex Sun maintained a steady routine of fundamental physical training. In his remaining free time, he carefully coordinated simulator sparring sessions with both Guanyu Zhou and Verstappen.
Training with Guanyu Zhou focused on polishing consistency and fine details, while battles with Verstappen pushed extreme driving techniques. Although Alex Sun was still behind Verstappen overall, his defensive skills had clearly improved—and for Verstappen, these duels were not without value either.
Soon, the F1 Portuguese Grand Prix got underway. With his VIP ticket in hand, Alex Sun headed straight for the Scuderia Ferrari pit bay.
The moment he stepped inside, a rigorous, focused atmosphere washed over him. Mechanics worked quietly around the cars, and the subtle hum of equipment blended into a rhythm unique to the track.
VIP access in the F1 pit bay followed strict rules. Alex Sun presented his credentials for verification and, under staff guidance, took his place in the designated viewing area.
This area was adjacent to the engineers' discussion zone, offering a clear view of the data screens without interfering with the team's work—perfect for observation and learning.
He stayed silent throughout, eyes fixed on the constantly updating data displays, his fingers instinctively recording key parameters in his notebook.
Following VIP protocols, he did not approach the cars or engineers, focusing solely on learning within the designated area.
Leclerc stood with his engineers at a data terminal, discussing setup adjustments. He looked even more serious than he did on camera, occasionally gesturing with his hand to illustrate cornering lines.
During a brief pause, a staff member stepped up to him and whispered, "Charles, there's an F2 driver in the viewing area with a VIP pass. He's here to observe and learn—he also visited our pit bay at Bahrain."
Leclerc followed the staffer's gesture and spotted Alex Sun focused on taking notes. A vague memory from Bahrain surfaced, and he nodded in acknowledgment.
Once the discussion with the engineers wrapped up, Leclerc didn't head back to the rest area. Instead, he walked lightly toward the viewing zone.
Careful not to disturb the busy mechanics, he stopped in front of Alex Sun and spoke in a calm tone. "Hello. I just heard about you from the staff.
You were in the Ferrari pit bay at Bahrain too, right? It's rare to see a VIP taking notes on track data so seriously. Are you a professional racing driver?"
Alex Sun paused, looked up, and froze for a brief moment when he saw who it was. He quickly recovered and replied politely, "Yes. My name is Alex Sun. I drive for the Prema Racing team. I did observe from Ferrari's pit bay at Bahrain using a VIP ticket."
Leclerc nodded slightly, his eyes flicking to the notebook in Alex Sun's hands. A hint of approval appeared in his smile as he introduced himself. "Charles Leclerc." Then he added, "If I'm not mistaken, Alex, you're currently second in the F2 championship standings?"
"Yes," Alex Sun replied. "I've run into some difficulties at the Circuit de Monaco, so I came to gather material and see if I could find help from another angle."
Leclerc smiled. "Then you've come to the right person. I'm a native Monégasque. I hope I can be of some help."
As he spoke, he took out his phone and exchanged contact details with Alex Sun. Noticing Alex Sun's interface, he joked with a grin, "I heard some Asian fans gave me an interesting nickname—'Fourth Place'?"
Alex Sun, touched by Leclerc's enthusiasm, laughed and replied, "I finished in Leclerc's position in both the second sprint race and the main race at Bahrain."
Leclerc chuckled and shook his head, telling Alex Sun they'd talk more after the race, then headed off to complete his practice session.
After the Portuguese Grand Prix, Alex Sun returned to the base immediately. He organized the setup insights he'd picked up from Ferrari's pit bay, highlighting the key points before diving straight into simulator training and integrating the new ideas into his Monaco setup work.
During a break, he contacted Leclerc as agreed to thank him and ask about suspension tuning for bumpy sections. The advice he received was concise, practical, and straight to the point.
After fully digesting the information, Alex Sun completed the Portuguese Grand Prix lap-time benchmark test. His time met the requirement with clear improvement, and the accompanying attribute boost further deepened his understanding of setup philosophy.
After a brief five-day rest, the Spanish Grand Prix arrived on schedule.
Alex Sun brought his training notes to the Circuit de Catalunya and, once again using a VIP ticket, entered the Mercedes pit bay to observe and learn.
Hamilton's razor-sharp racing lines and rock-solid rhythm control benefited him immensely. Throughout the session, Alex Sun closely studied the onboard data and line choices, his pen flying across the pages as he recorded key takeaways.
He briefly considered stepping forward to talk or exchange contact details, but quickly dismissed the thought. As an unknown F2 driver, it didn't feel appropriate to intrude.
After the race, Alex Sun successfully completed the Spanish Grand Prix lap-time benchmark, earning another attribute boost.
Although he hadn't managed to get Hamilton's contact information, the elite experience he absorbed had already translated into tangible gains. That alone was enough to fuel his next phase of simulator refinement.
With the Spanish Grand Prix concluded, only eleven days remained until the Monaco Grand Prix.
These eleven days were Alex Sun's golden window. He would fully integrate everything he'd learned from multiple races and the heightened control sensitivity brought by two attribute upgrades, forging it all into real lap-time advantage.
His goal was clear and unwavering: in Monaco qualifying, he was going for the top three.
...
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