The setting sun bathed the Bahrain International Circuit in warm gold. The daytime heat of 32°C slowly eased, and the evening breeze carried away the lingering scorch.
Lights came on one after another along the pit lane. Inside the Prema garage, the mechanics carried out their final checks, making sure Alex Sun wouldn't run into any car-related issues during qualifying.
The Pirelli P Zero soft tyres, tuned specifically to Alex Sun's driving style, gave off a fine matte sheen under the lights. This compound, exclusive to F2 qualifying, offered formidable grip but degraded quickly—every fraction of tread wear could affect lap time.
Alex Sun sat in a massage chair in the rest area while Carlos used a massage gun to loosen the muscles in his neck.
With his eyes closed, Alex reviewed practice-session telemetry in his mind: at the apex of Turn 10, he could hug the inside more tightly; throttle application on corner exit could come 0.3 seconds earlier. At Turn 15, the braking point needed to be moved forward by five meters to avoid lock-up.
During practice, he and race engineer Mark had gone through multiple rounds of TR (Team Radio) drills—from setup feedback to handling unexpected on-track situations. Their coordination had grown increasingly fluid.
Now, under the boost of the "Diligence Pays Off" trait, details like track friction and elevation changes were as clear as simulator annotations.
"Heart rate and blood pressure are normal. Neck tension's within range." Carlos handed him an electrolyte drink. "Remember the F2 qualifying rules: Q1 is 12 minutes. Top 15 advance to Q2. Soft tyres only the entire session—don't burn through their performance too early."
Alex took a couple of gulps of the cool drink, stood up, and rotated his wrists and ankles. His joints let out faint pops.
His gaze settled on the red-striped Prema car in the center of the garage. The bold number "2" on the livery stood out—his official race number, and the starting point of his F2 campaign.
Mark walked over briskly, tablet in hand with live data on display.
"Track temperature's 24°C. Optimal operating window for the softs is 85–95°C, so focus on building tyre temp on the out lap. Also, based on practice telemetry, Guanyu Zhou and Christian Lundgaard have very strong top-end speed—about 3 km/h quicker than our early test runs. They're both championship favorites this year and will push hard in qualifying. Be ready."
Alex scanned the screen. Guanyu Zhou topped the times at 1:43.117, with Christian Lundgaard close behind at 1:43.273—just a tenth between them, true front-runners.
His teammate Oscar Piastri sat mid-pack for now, his lap time close to Alex's, while both had a clear margin over drivers like Romain Boschung and Roy Nissany.
In F2 qualifying, a single lap can decide everything. Every 0.01 second matters. Only the top 15 make it into Q2—the fight was far fiercer than it looked, and Alex couldn't afford the slightest lapse.
As per F2 tradition, the drivers' parade began on schedule before qualifying.
Twenty-one drivers climbed into open-top sightseeing cars and cruised slowly around the circuit, waving to fans in the grandstands while cooperating with brief media shoots and interviews along the track.
This was a standard pre-session warm-up organized by the officials—both to build hype and to give drivers a rare chance to interact in a more relaxed setting.
Alex had barely settled into his seat when Piastri, beside him, turned his head. His tone was calm but purposeful.
"Alex Sun, I noticed your lap times in yesterday's practice. The improvement was pretty clear—almost half a second quicker than your earlier tests."
Alex paused briefly, surprised that his usually reserved teammate had started the conversation. He replied evenly,
"I'm mostly adapted now. Mark and I finalized the setup yesterday, and the car feels a lot smoother."
Piastri gave a small nod and skipped straight to something practical.
"While we've got a moment, a quick tip for media interviews. After the parade, there's a good chance they'll grab you for a short one. If they ask about qualifying expectations, just say, 'The goal is to advance to Q2 and take it step by step.' No need to overpromise—don't add unnecessary pressure. Prema's PR team doesn't like overly absolute statements."
That surprised Alex even more. He hadn't expected Piastri to offer advice on interviews, let alone team dynamics. He nodded, his tone calm but appreciative.
"Got it. I'll remember that. Thanks."
"No problem."
Piastri's eyes lingered on him for a moment before shifting back to the track.
"Grip looks good today. Let's both do our jobs and try to get both cars into Q3."
When the parade ended, the sightseeing cars returned to the pit lane. Alex and Piastri walked side by side toward the Prema pit box.
At the garage entrance, Piastri stopped and turned to him.
"There are a couple of driving details that might help your lap time. I'll keep it brief."
Alex stopped immediately, his respect for his teammate deepening.
Piastri explained clearly and methodically, without embellishment.
"At Sakhir, the high-speed Turn 3 and the Turn 12 sequence are key for lap time. On the short straight between Turns 1 and 2, you don't need to lift deliberately—conditions are good today, plenty of grip, so you can go full throttle earlier than in practice. Same for Turn 11. The surface is smoother this year, so the risk at full throttle is lower. Also, you can be more aggressive over the kerb at Turn 6—it helps rotation."
The precision of the advice turned Alex's initial surprise into genuine mutual recognition. Piastri had just saved him a lot of trial and error—he couldn't let that favor go unanswered.
He spoke up right away, calm but clearly returning the gesture.
"I noticed something in practice too. The kerb at Turn 8 is smoother than in the simulator. Taking it more aggressively can gain about 0.05 seconds. It should help you as well."
A faint flicker passed through Piastri's eyes before he filed the detail away. His voice stayed measured, but appreciative.
"I hadn't picked up on that. And 0.05 seconds is huge in qualifying. Thanks."
Alex nodded slightly.
"Sharing goes both ways. We all get faster."
With the exchange done, he quickly shifted back into focus.
He lowered himself into the cockpit as the mechanics secured the six-point harness. The carbon fiber steering wheel felt cool in his hands, every button already burned into muscle memory.
"Alex Sun, radio check. Confirm." Mark's voice came through.
"Radio clear. Car feels good," Alex replied, steady and composed.
"Stick to the optimal setup. Focus on tyre warm-up on the out lap—softs work best at 85–95°C. On the flying lap, prioritize efficiency over chaining laps together. The team's confident you'll make the top 15 and reach Q2."
"Copy."
The broadcast and radio came through together:
"Q1 qualifying has officially begun. Timing starts now!"
Mark followed up immediately.
"Alex, you can exit now. First lap, set a clean banker. No need to overpush—get a safe time on the board first. Traffic's good. Go now."
Alex acknowledged, fed in the throttle, and the engine responded with a low growl as the revs climbed to 5,000. He rolled onto the circuit.
Once out, he began warming the tyres right away, gently weaving to build heat. Tyre temperatures climbed steadily toward the optimal 90°C window. He lightly brushed the brakes as well, bringing the brake temperatures up in sync.
All dashboard readings were normal. The car responded precisely, and as he settled into rhythm, he made quick adjustments to brake balance, ensuring stability under load.
With the warm-up complete, he went flat through Turn 15 and launched into his first flying lap of Q1.
Mark reminded him over the radio,
"Keep your rhythm. Push for a solid first lap, but stay composed. Leave yourself room to improve."
The engine unleashed full power, revs soaring to 8,000. Top speed at the end of the straight passed 290 km/h, wind roaring around the car without breaking his focus.
Into Turn 1, Alex nailed the braking point, hitting the brakes hard while keeping the steering stable. He trailed off the brake smoothly, then fed in throttle progressively on exit to avoid wheelspin, sending the car cleanly down the next straight.
This was a banker lap. He stayed disciplined, never forcing the car beyond its limit. Across the line: 1:43.729. A valid baseline, right on the edge of the Q1 cutoff.
Mark came in immediately.
"Banker lap done. Very solid. Box, box. Traffic's building—come in now and wait for a clear window."
"Copy."
Alex backed off, began a cool-down lap to let the engine and tyres breathe, then returned smoothly to the pit box.
The clock kept ticking. With five minutes left in Q1, the pace ramped up. Several drivers improved, and Alex was pushed down to 16th—temporarily outside the top 15.
Then a brief window opened. No cars within two kilometers ahead. After repeated runs, the track was now well rubbered-in, offering the best grip of the session.
Mark made the call instantly, shouting to the crew,
"Off with the tyre warmers! Get Alex out!"
Over the radio, he added,
"Track's clear, grip is excellent. Go now and commit. Use the tips Piastri shared—be more aggressive at Turn 8!"
Alex's focus snapped into place. All his attention narrowed to car and circuit. As he rolled out of the pit lane again, there was no hesitation. Every bit of training and accumulated feel came together as he pushed the car to the very edge of control.
Across the line, the timing screen froze at 1:43.663.
P11.
Well inside the top 15.
Mark's voice carried unmistakable satisfaction.
"Perfect! That's safely into Q2. No need to push anymore—cool it down and come back in. Watch out for cars still on flying laps."
Alex let out a long breath and eased into the cool-down lap, sweat already forming on his forehead beneath the helmet. Back in the pit box, he stayed in the car, eyes fixed on the telemetry screens lining the garage.
Others were still pushing, the leaderboard shifting constantly—but his 11th place held firm. Q2 was locked in.
Telemetry showed Piastri had gone even quicker, a 1:43.613 placing him 10th. Both Prema cars were through without issue.
Minutes later, the checkered flag waved. Q1 was over.
Eliminated drivers:
Bent Viscaal
Lirim Zendeli
David Beckmann
Clément Novalak
Guilherme Samaia
Armando Deledda
Mark's voice came through again, excitement barely contained.
"Great work! Q1 done. Take a breather and get ready for Q2."
Alex removed the steering wheel and climbed out with the mechanics' help. He stretched, feeling the dull ache in his lower back and neck—the toll of high-intensity flying laps.
The garage snapped into action. Some mechanics swapped on fresh soft tyres for Q2, while others refueled the car and carefully checked the engine, gearbox, and other critical systems to ensure everything would run smoothly.
Carlos was already there with another electrolyte drink.
"Loosen up your neck first. Q2's going to be even tougher."
Mark walked over with the final Q1 timing sheet, pointing at the front of the field.
"Look here—Guanyu Zhou and Lundgaard are all in the low 1:43s. That's how tight the top of F2 is. Q2 is only ten minutes, and only the top ten go to Q3. The cutoff will be brutal.
You're 11th right now, Piastri's 3rd. The objective's clear—push hard and try to move up. Your setup's already proven in Q1. Now it's all about execution."
Alex took a couple of sips, eyes on the board. His 1:43.663 was safe, but compared to Guanyu Zhou's 1:43.117, there was still a 0.546-second gap.
He glanced toward Piastri's side of the garage. His teammate was deep in discussion with his engineer, focused and composed. Remembering their exchange of tips before Q1, Alex took a steadying breath. No matter the gap, he was in Q2 now—and he had to seize the chance.
"Any change in track grip for Q2?" he asked Mark. Track conditions dictated everything; he'd learned that in practice.
Mark pulled up the data.
"Track temp's dropped another two degrees, so grip's slightly better, but the softs will degrade faster. The key is still hitting the tyre's peak window. Same plan: first lap as a safety run—warm the tyres and read the track. Last three minutes, push flat out and capitalize on the sweet spot."
He paused, then added,
"Pay close attention to the heavy braking hairpins at Turns 2 and 10. Turn 10's run-off was slightly adjusted this year—check Lundgaard's telemetry line and stay tight. You can claw back a lot of time there."
"Got it," Alex nodded, already replaying Piastri's advice in his head—light throttle through Turn 3, clean and connected lines through Turn 12.
Sharing the Turn 8 kerb detail hadn't just been goodwill. It was a principle: if someone helped him, he would repay it with something of equal value. No debts left hanging.
That exchange had neatly settled the favor Piastri had extended earlier, keeping their teammate relationship balanced and straightforward. That kind of give-and-take felt solid.
Around them, the pit lane buzzed as other teams prepared for Q2. Radios crackled with engineers' commands and drivers' replies, the air thick with tension and anticipation.
Alex rolled his wrists and neck once more, then pulled his balaclava back on. The short pause was over.
The Q2 sprint was coming—and it would demand 100 percent, maybe more.