Alex Sun gradually steadied his emotions. He climbed out of the car and headed straight for the mandatory post-race weighing.
The process was completed quickly. As soon as he stepped out of the weighing area, a crew member wheeled a box over to his car.
Resting neatly on top was a custom Pirelli championship cap. The black base was understated and sharp, with the Pirelli logo and the F2 emblem embroidered on the front, and a gold "1st" stitched on the side to signify victory—clean, simple, and instantly recognizable.
This was the first F2 feature race victory cap of his career, an exclusive reward prepared by F2 officials for the winner of each round.
Alex Sun picked up a white towel from the table and wiped the sweat from his temples and neck. He placed his helmet and gloves down calmly, without any hurry.
Only then did he take the Pirelli championship cap and settle it firmly on his head. After adjusting the brim, he turned and walked toward the designated interview area.
The reporters had been waiting for a while. The moment they handed him the microphone, their excitement was hard to contain.
"Congratulations, Alex! That was a completely dominant performance today! Even after the Safety Car wiped out your advantage, you held the lead with total control and dictated the pace of attack and defense. Did you already have this Monaco win figured out? How does it feel to take the victory?"
Alex Sun accepted the microphone. His voice was calm and assured, with no trace of showmanship.
"I wouldn't say I had it in the bag. Monaco leaves no room for error—you can't relax for a single lap. You have to manage your lines and throttle with absolute precision throughout the race, especially during the battles after the Safety Car restart. One mistake, and it's over."
He lifted his gaze slightly, eyes sweeping across the circuit he had just conquered, a faint smile forming at the corner of his lips.
"Of course I'm happy to win. It's the best reward for all the effort the team and I put in over the weekend. I'm very familiar with the racing lines here, and the car gave me strong support today. Those two factors were the key to this win."
The short interview wrapped up, and the national anthem ceremony began immediately afterward.
Alex Sun stepped onto the top step of the podium, hands resting naturally at his sides. When the guest presented him with the weighty championship trophy, he slowly raised it high. Camera shutters fired in rapid succession, blending with the roar of the crowd, while the red-clad figures in the pit lane had already shouted themselves hoarse.
The champagne celebration that followed hardly needed mentioning. Alex Sun laughed as he sprayed champagne back and forth with Pourchaire and Mark, celebrating the end of the Monaco round and everything they had gained from it.
At the same time, once the celebrations wound down, the broadcast cut to highlights from the race. Several of Alex Sun's brilliant defensive sequences against Pourchaire were replayed again and again.
After the highlights, the broadcast switched to the updated drivers' standings.
Alex Sun finished first in the feature race and earned 25 points. Combined with the 11 points he had scored in the sprint races—5 points for fourth in Sprint Race 1 and 6 points for third in Sprint Race 2—his total for the Monaco round came to 36 points, bringing his season total to 59 points, 9 points behind Guanyu Zhou's 68.
Piastri scored 28 points this round, bringing his total to 49 and widening the gap between himself and Alex Sun even further.
Guanyu Zhou, aside from a flawless victory in the first sprint race, picked up relatively few points in the other two races. He scored 27 points in Monaco, keeping his total at 68.
As the camera zoomed in on the standings, Rob Smedley's voice came through first, filled with admiration.
"Alex Sun really went all out in Monaco! He was 18 points behind Guanyu Zhou before the weekend, and after this round he's slashed the gap significantly. The championship fight has instantly become razor-tight!"
Alex Jacques followed up, his tone carrying a hint of prediction.
"Exactly. That kind of comeback momentum is terrifying. Guanyu Zhou will have to be very careful going forward. Alex Sun showed defensive stability and tactical execution well beyond rookie level this weekend—he's absolutely the biggest threat from here on out."
After the celebrations ended, Alex Sun had barely returned to the pit lane before the team surrounded him. Mark laughed as he slapped him on the shoulder.
"Fantastic job! This one's ours!"
Amid the noise, Alex Sun smiled and exchanged congratulations with the mechanics before heading to the showers. Standing under the hot water, he leaned back against the wall and immediately called out in his mind.
"System, check completed side quests."
The cold mechanical voice responded at once as the blue task panel of the Driver System unfolded in his consciousness.
[Side Quest: Demonstrate Strength in Monaco]
[Status: Completed. Rewards pending.]
[FP1 Target Achieved: Monaco Circuit–Specific Optimization Tuning Unlocked (Claimed);]
[Stage Cumulative Reward: 6 Free Attribute Points (2 already used);]
[Full Completion Bonus: Track Tactics +3, Emergency Reaction +3, Track Proficiency +10%;]
[Compensation Reward: Early Unlock of Main Quest Trait "Guardian of the Machine" (Reduces Car Consumption by 10%).]
Alex Sun had been eyeing Guardian of the Machine for a long time. A 10% reduction in overall car consumption didn't just mean more tire life—it also meant carrying less fuel and reducing wear on components.
In formula racing, if you're given the choice between shedding 50 kg or gaining 50 horsepower, everyone will choose weight reduction without hesitation.
With this single trait, if Alex Sun were to redo Monaco qualifying, he could be 0.2 seconds faster—no exaggeration.
And that was just qualifying. In the race, less fuel and extra tire margin opened up countless tactical options. Ideas began flooding his mind, and he couldn't wait to see the rewards from the remaining tasks.
The panel had barely closed when the mechanical voice sounded again. This time, a golden team system panel appeared.
[Core Main Quest (Long-Term): F1 Customer Team Creation Plan]
[Status: Completed. Stage Rewards pending.]
[Fixed Reward: $7 million funding; Team Visibility +15.]
[Long-Term Side Quest: F1 Car Technology Accumulation Plan]
[Status: Completed. Stage Rewards pending.]
[Fixed Reward: All Team Attributes +5; $7 million funding; Team Visibility +15.]
[Optional Reward: 1 Advanced F1 Core Technology Concept (Stored in system inventory; selectable upon formation of core team. Direction: Aerodynamics / Floor / Power / Durability).]
Looking at the generous funding and the selectable reward, Alex Sun's confidence in building an F1 team surged. Three hundred million dollars? That was nothing.
At this pace, one race brought in $14 million. He still had 18 races left this season, not to mention the sponsorships that would follow once team visibility increased.
After claiming the rewards, Alex Sun reviewed his attributes. Because of the 80-point threshold, one point in Driving Technique had previously been inactive. The three fixed points plus one free point now made exactly five, fully activating them.
The remaining three free attribute points naturally went into Track Tactics. With two sprint races at every future round, all using reverse grids, overtaking tools had to be fully prepared.
As the thought settled, the system panel refreshed automatically. The 7% Monaco circuit bonus faded with the end of the event, while the 10% Track Proficiency remained. His final attributes were clearly displayed.
[Driver System – Ability Panel (0–100)]
Launch Control: 57 (Base 55 +2)
Driving Technique: 83 (Base 82 +3 fixed side-quest points +1 free point, meeting the 80-point activation threshold)
Resource Management: 55
Track Tactics: 74 (Base 68 +6)
Physical Endurance: 70
Emergency Reaction: 53 (Base 50 +3)
Track Tactics at 74. Emergency Reaction at 53.
A sharp glint flashed in Alex Sun's eyes. This tangible leap in strength felt far more reassuring than any celebration ever could.
The boost to Track Tactics, in particular, gave him real confidence heading into the Baku Grand Prix, where overtaking would be crucial. With his emotions settled, he changed into his team uniform and left the shower room.
...
The following afternoon, Alex Sun headed to Ferrari's pit area to watch the F1 race. Before he even stepped inside, he could feel a heavy, oppressive atmosphere hanging in the air.
Sure enough, as soon as he entered, he learned that the ever-unlucky Leclerc had suffered a sudden failure in his left driveshaft and was forced into a DNS.
Watching Leclerc sit slumped in his chair, head in his hands and staring blankly ahead, Alex Sun could only offer him a sympathetic look.
Sensing that gaze, Leclerc looked up and spotted Alex Sun. He stood and walked toward the pit exit, tilting his head to signal Alex Sun to come out and talk.
Alex Sun had come specifically to watch Leclerc, so he followed without hesitation.
"Monaco again, and not even finishing. Tell me that isn't absurd."
"What can you do? I told you on Thursday—your luck really is something. The hardest track to overtake on, pole in qualifying, and then a DNS in the race. Sigh."
Alex Sun placed a hand on his shoulder, suddenly struck by an idea.
"Hey, Charles. Look at it this way—I won the feature race this time. As a proper old Monaco local, shouldn't you be treating me to dinner? After all, this win owes you a lot."
"When you were asking me for advice before, you were so polite about it. Now you win one race and your attitude flips completely?"
Leclerc shot him an annoyed look, but the gloom in his expression eased noticeably. He nodded.
"There's a French restaurant—great food, very quiet. We'll go after the race."
Seeing him agree, Alex Sun pushed further.
"How about inviting one more person? Guanyu Zhou. Let's all sit down and chat."
"Sure. No problem."
Alex Sun immediately opened his message app and started a video call with Guanyu Zhou.
"What's this kid doing, why isn't he picking up… ah, there you are. Hey, Zhou, where are you hiding? Your old man's got a dinner you need to attend. You coming or not?"
On the other end, Guanyu Zhou laughed as he cursed back.
"Don't forget, I'm your dad. Get to the point. If it's nothing, I'll book a flight back right now."
"Easy there, Captain Zhou. This chance to have dinner with Charles Leclerc is priceless. Are you coming or not?"
"Charles? Leclerc? You actually pulled that off? Damn. Send me the location."
After hanging up, Alex Sun raised an eyebrow at Leclerc.
"All set. He'll be there."
The two traded a few more jabs about Ferrari before heading back into the pit area. Leclerc went off to handle his own matters, while Alex Sun continued watching the race.
Standing quietly in the reserved viewing area, Alex Sun fixed his gaze on the track data screens. His perception was no longer what it once had been. The line choices and braking points of top drivers were clear at a glance, and he rapidly reconstructed them in his mind, absorbing real F1 racecraft piece by piece.
After the race, Charles drove Alex Sun in his Ferrari to a Mediterranean restaurant—a private spot he kept for gatherings with close friends, offering maximum discretion.
Not long after, Guanyu Zhou arrived. He first checked in on Charles, then joked as soon as he sat down.
"Not bad, kid. You're almost right on my heels now. Next stop Baku—go easy on me, yeah?"
Alex Sun shot back immediately.
"If you want mercy, hand over first place."
The two traded insults, lightening the mood at the table.
Leclerc watched them bicker with a smile. After ordering the house specialties, he finally spoke about the retirement, his tone much calmer now, more analytical.
"In the end, it all traces back to that wall hit in qualifying. The team only checked the gearbox afterward and missed the crack in the left driveshaft hub. As soon as it took load on the out lap, it failed."
He poured drinks for both of them and shook his head helplessly.
"My first DNS in my career, and it happens at my home race. That one hurts."
After a brief pause, he looked at Alex Sun and added,
"But I did figure out a few suspension setup points for Monaco's bumpy sections, and gained some experience spotting hidden damage after impacts. I'll send it to you later—it should help you avoid plenty of pitfalls in F2."
Guanyu Zhou smoothly shifted the conversation to preparations for Baku, while Alex Sun asked targeted questions about street-circuit attack and defense, occasionally sharing his own practice insights.
The more they talked, the more in sync they became. The conversation lifted Leclerc's spirits and deepened their bond, giving Alex Sun valuable connections and technical leverage for his future races and team plans.
After seeing the two of them off, the smile slowly faded from Alex Sun's face, his gaze sharpening once again.
The Monaco victory and his surge in strength were just the appetizer. The F2 season had only just completed two rounds, and the gap to Guanyu Zhou could vanish at any moment. Preparations for the F1 team were even more urgent—recruitment and technical partnerships had to be pushed forward while the momentum was there.
He had no time to linger in celebration.
The layout for the next stop, Baku, was already quietly taking shape in his mind.
...
(20 Chapters Ahead)
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