A surge of rousing music burst through the broadcast—the signature F2 opening theme. The familiar rhythm instantly cranked the tension at the circuit to its peak.
Far away in a living room in Hangzhou, China, Alex Sun's parents fumbled anxiously with the TV remote. The cursor darted across the F1 TV interface as they hurriedly scanned a QR code and paid in dollars for a full-year subscription.
Once the paywall was cleared, they sat down shoulder to shoulder, eyes locked on the screen, their expressions tight with nerves and anticipation, afraid to miss even a single shot of their son.
The broadcast cut to F1 TV's classic opening segment. Lead commentator Alex Jacques' steady voice accompanied a dynamic circuit graphic, the camera focusing on the glowing track model.
Alex Jacques began, "Welcome to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. F1 TV brings you exclusive coverage of the 2021 F2 World Championship. The third round of the season takes place here in Baku, with Saturday's first Sprint Race about to get underway. Joining me in the commentary box is Jolyon Palmer."
Jolyon Palmer responded warmly, "Thanks, Alex. Hello to everyone tuning in around the world for what should be a thrilling Sprint Race here in Baku."
Alex Jacques continued, gesturing toward the track model. "This 6.03-kilometer circuit will host a 21-lap F2 Sprint Race. The two DRS Zone 2 sections here are identical to those used in F1."
Jolyon Palmer picked up the analysis, eyes on the Turn 1 marker. "The key corner to watch is Turn 1. It's notoriously tight on the opening lap, and we've seen plenty of first-corner drama here over the years."
Alex Jacques' voice grew more urgent as the camera swept across the starting grid, tension mounting. "Let's take a look at today's starting order."
Daruvala; 2. Guanyu Zhou;
Boschung; 4. Armstrong;
Ticktum; 6. Pourchaire;
Piastri; 8. Vips;
Lawson; 10. Alex Sun;
Drugovich; 12. Lundgaard;
Beckmann; 14. Aitken;
Viscaal; 16. Vesti;
Nannini; 18. Zendeli;
Sato; 20. Samaia;
Deledda; 22. Nissani (Reserve).
Alex Jacques continued, "Guanyu Zhou starts from P2—an excellent grid slot. Meanwhile, Alex Sun, who broke Leclerc's track record yesterday to take pole, can only start from P10 due to the reverse-grid rule for the top ten in the Sprint Race. The camera's on Alex Sun now—he's finishing his formation lap and heading to his grid position."
Jolyon Palmer added, "The contrast between their positions is clear. Alex Sun is locked onto Lawson in P9 ahead. He's clearly planning to attack right from the start. That aggressive approach makes the opening lap full of suspense."
The formation lap concluded, and Alex Sun brought the car neatly into his P10 grid box. He deliberately angled the nose slightly to the right, eyes fixed on Lawson's P9 car ahead and to the left.
His hands pressed precisely on the clutch paddles behind the steering wheel. His right foot held the throttle at roughly two-thirds. The tachometer needle climbed steadily, stabilizing at 6000 RPM.
His gaze locked onto the five red lights as they illuminated one by one. His focus sharpened, Mark's pre-race instructions echoing clearly in his mind: "Hold the RPM steady. After the launch, use the space on the right to pin Lawson and seize the racing line into Turn 1."
The engine growled low and powerful. Everything was ready—just waiting for the lights to go out.
The red lights blinked off.
Alex Sun released the clutch paddle decisively. The engine's surging power transferred instantly to the rear wheels. The tires bit briefly into the asphalt before exploding with traction, launching the car off the grid like an arrow shot from a bow.
His RPM control was perfect. The start was flawless. Charging down the right-hand side, he rapidly gained speed. By the end of the straight, he had drawn fully alongside Lawson, who had defended the left. Less than half a meter separated them as they thundered into Turn 1 side by side.
Alex Jacques' voice spiked with excitement. "What a launch from Alex Sun! He sweeps around the outside line and goes wheel to wheel with Lawson into Turn 1—that's brave stuff! Down the short run toward Turn 2, he's edging ahead!"
They exited Turn 1 still wheel to wheel, but Alex Sun gained a slight advantage thanks to a stronger exit line. He held the right-hand side toward the braking zone for Turn 2, fingers poised, ready to brake.
Lawson clung to the left, refusing to give up. The fight was still on. Alex Sun concentrated completely on his line, the car already at the limit of grip as he prepared to turn in.
Then, in a split second—
A massive, unanticipated force slammed into the left rear of his car.
Before he could react, the left rear wheel shuddered violently. Already at the threshold of braking and cornering, the car instantly broke loose and snapped into a spin.
His mind remained eerily clear. He knew he had been caught up in a rear-end collision, but he had no idea a chain-reaction crash had erupted behind him. All his focus narrowed to the out-of-control car.
As a professional driver, he made the judgment instantly: braking during a spin would shift weight forward, fully locking the rear and worsening the loss of control.
In that flash of 0.01 seconds, muscle memory took over. Alex Sun counter-steered decisively. Instead of hitting the brakes, he feathered the throttle, precisely modulating engine RPM.
The engine delivered controlled bursts of power. The spinning car slid toward the Turn 2 barrier. The rear carbon fiber structure scraped along the wall with a piercing metallic screech, sparks spraying in a brilliant trail.
After two full rotations, the car finally stabilized and came to rest in the run-off area.
Alex Sun had just exhaled in relief when he caught sight of Alessio Deledda's car barreling into the same run-off zone. Clearly, Deledda had swerved in an emergency to avoid the chaos ahead.
More strikingly, Deledda's engine note cut out abruptly—silence. Most likely a stall. His car sat stranded in the gravel.
Alex Sun quickly scanned his dashboard. The gauges moved steadily. The engine still hummed low and stable. No abnormal vibrations.
Thankfully, his engine had remained running throughout. The core components seemed intact. But with his rear facing the racing line, he immediately called Mark over TR to ask about traffic behind him.
Under FIA regulations, the track was now under yellow flag conditions. The field ahead was slowing through the incident zone. Rejoining carelessly could trigger a secondary collision. He had to wait for a safe gap.
Alex Jacques' voice came through, urgent and astonished. "Massive contact in the midfield! Drugovich runs into the back of Piastri, and it's a chain reaction that collects Lawson and Alex Sun!
That was superb car control from Alex Sun—just feathering the throttle, catching the slide. And that brush with the wall at the rear was incredibly close! Also note—P21 Deledda has ended up in the run-off area as well!"
Jolyon Palmer analyzed the replay in a measured tone. "Drugovich simply braked too late—that's what set it off.
Piastri gets turned into Lawson, and Lawson is then pushed into Alex Sun. He was completely caught up in it.
But that response from Alex Sun was top class—no panic on the brakes, just measured throttle and counter-steer to stop the rotation. And he's wisely staying put under yellows, not risking a dangerous rejoin.
We should also mention Aitken in P14—he was squeezed on the exit of Turn 1, hit the wall, and that's significant damage. His race looks to be over."
The yellow flag warning tone continued to echo around the circuit, and the Safety Car lights were already flashing at the pit lane exit.
...
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