During the 35-minute stoppage, Alex Sun took out his phone and sent Verstappen a message of consolation.
"No one could've predicted a sudden tire blowout. The most important thing is that you're okay. Don't take it too hard."
He saw the message go through but didn't expect a reply.
After retiring from a race, F1 drivers are extremely busy. They have to return to the team immediately for medical checks and a full debrief about the retirement. There's usually no time to even look at their phones.
But just as he was about to put his phone away and turn his attention back to the track, it suddenly vibrated.
Verstappen had replied.
The message was short and straightforward.
"I'm fine. We'll talk at dinner. Remember to send the address."
A trace of warmth flickered in Alex Sun's eyes. He quietly put his phone away and looked back toward the circuit. By now, preparations for the restart were complete.
All the drivers had switched to soft tires, ready to fight for the win in a final two-lap sprint.
Perez would start from the front row, with Hamilton lined up right behind in second. The second row was occupied by Vettel and Gasly, while Leclerc started from fifth, ready to attack.
Guanyu Zhou leaned closer to Alex Sun and asked curiously,
"By the way, do you think Lec's really going to stay stuck in fifth? No chance of moving forward?"
Alex Sun shook his head slightly. His tone carried some uncertainty, but also a hint of hope.
"Hard to say. Ferrari's weaknesses are too obvious. It's definitely tough for him to push forward. But if an opportunity appears, maybe he can still fight for a podium."
The five red lights went out one by one.
The final two-lap sprint of the Baku Grand Prix officially began.
Perez had a solid launch. He held the middle line and firmly protected the lead, leaving no opening for the drivers behind him.
Hamilton, meanwhile, had an excellent start. With strong acceleration, he pulled alongside on the outside and aggressively tried to make the overtake, closing rapidly on Perez's rear.
But then something unexpected happened.
He accidentally selected the wrong brake setting. As he braked before the corner, all four wheels locked instantly. The tires screamed against the asphalt, leaving a long trail of white smoke as the car shot straight into the run-off area.
In an instant, he dropped to the back of the field.
This mistake didn't just cost him the chance to win. It also knocked him completely out of the points, leaving no possibility of recovery.
Leclerc, meanwhile, maintained a clean start and held his racing line. Taking advantage of Hamilton running off the track, he moved up into fourth place.
Notably, DRS was not enabled during these final two laps. Drivers had to rely purely on their cars' performance.
Driving the SF-21, Leclerc launched several well-timed attacks, but every time the drivers ahead shut the door. No matter how hard he pushed, he couldn't move any further forward.
In the end, Leclerc crossed the finish line in fourth place.
Once again, he failed to reach the podium and reluctantly returned to his "throne."
After the final driver crossed the line, the roar of engines slowly faded, though the cheers from the crowd continued.
The 2021 F1 Baku Grand Prix had finally come to an end.
Along the track, Perez's fans waved flags and cheered loudly in celebration of his victory, while the broadcast commentary enthusiastically announced the final results.
Meanwhile, after completing his cooldown lap, Leclerc did not immediately climb out of the car like the other drivers.
He remained seated in the cockpit, completely still.
The onboard camera showed him still wearing his helmet, leaning slightly back in the seat, his eyes unfocused and his expression distant.
In that quiet moment, Leclerc's mind was filled with complicated emotions.
From the excitement of starting from pole position, to the crushing frustration of being overtaken again and again and slipping down to fifth place.
What bothered him even more was Ferrari's lack of pace. They couldn't even compete with Aston Martin.
He couldn't help remembering the confident words he had spoken to Alex Sun and Guanyu Zhou before the race.
Was there really such a thing as bad luck?
After ten or fifteen seconds of silence, once his emotions had settled slightly, he slowly unbuckled his seatbelt, removed his helmet, and climbed out of the cockpit with visible fatigue.
He looked toward the Ferrari VIP suite.
His gaze landed precisely on the two of them.
He gave a small nod, a trace of unwillingness hidden beneath the disappointment in his eyes.
The moment they saw his gesture, Alex Sun and Guanyu Zhou raised their thumbs toward him without hesitation, their expressions full of encouragement.
Leclerc looked at the two raised thumbs.
The tight knot in his chest suddenly loosened. Much of the disappointment and frustration faded away, and he immediately felt a little better.
He lifted his hand and gave a small wave toward the suite.
The Ferrari fans in the VIP box grew even more excited.
Some applauded enthusiastically, others waved flags high in the air, and someone shouted loudly toward the track,
"Charles! You did your best!"
Seeing that Leclerc's mood had clearly improved, Alex Sun and Guanyu Zhou exchanged a glance.
Finally, they couldn't hold back anymore and began venting about the chaotic race they had just witnessed.
Alex Sun spoke first, sounding full of disbelief.
"Honestly, this race was completely ridiculous. Who could've imagined it would end like this?"
Guanyu Zhou nodded repeatedly, frowning slightly.
"Exactly. Just look at Lec. He started from pole and had such a strong position, but the car dragged him down."
Alex Sun continued, clearly disappointed.
"Right from the start, even without DRS, people were just blasting past him on the straight. In the end he had no choice but to settle back into fourth. Such a shame."
"And Super Max had it even worse.
"He started from third, then used the Red Bull's speed and his own skill to lead most of the race. On Lap 46 he still had a 12-second lead. The win was practically already in his pocket."
"And then suddenly the tire blew and he retired. Not a single point. The trophy he had in his hands just disappeared."
"The most unbelievable one is Hamilton," Guanyu Zhou added, sounding half amused and half helpless.
"After Super Max retired, that was the perfect chance for him to close the gap in the standings."
"They were only four points apart. Even if he didn't win, finishing second would've erased the four-point deficit and put him in the lead."
"But instead he ran off the track and didn't even score points. The whole opportunity was wasted."
Alex Sun spread his hands helplessly.
"Think about those three.
"Lec has the talent but not the car. Even giving everything he's still limited by the car's weaknesses.
"Super Max has both the talent and the car, but his luck was unbelievably bad and everything collapsed because of an accident.
"And Hamilton has both the car and the skill, but he made a mistake at the key moment. This race was just ridiculously dramatic."
"F1 is way crazier than our F2 races," Guanyu Zhou sighed heavily, rubbing his forehead.
"When we raced F2 in Baku, it wasn't anywhere near this dramatic."
Alex Sun raised an eyebrow, a sly smile appearing on his face.
"Actually, it's the same if you think about it."
He paused deliberately and dragged out the last words, giving Guanyu Zhou a mischievous look.
Clearly waiting for him to ask.
"Then say it! Stop leaving me hanging!" Guanyu Zhou immediately took the bait and slapped Alex Sun's arm.
Alex Sun finally burst out laughing.
"Look at our Zhou here. Won the first sprint race and looked unstoppable. Then in the second sprint race he retired, and in the main race he didn't score a single point. Isn't that dramatic?"
He paused, then added another jab with an even bigger grin.
"And when you started the race, you locked up before Turn 1 and went straight off the track. Exactly like Hamilton today. Doesn't that sound familiar?"
"You'd die if you didn't tease me, wouldn't you?" Guanyu Zhou instantly realized Alex Sun had been setting him up.
The moment Alex Sun said "our Zhou," Guanyu Zhou had already grabbed his arm to stop him from escaping.
When Alex Sun finished that last line, Zhou tightened his grip immediately, squeezing hard enough that Alex Sun flinched.
Alex Sun forced himself not to laugh and quickly raised his hands in surrender.
"Alright, alright, my mistake. I won't tease you anymore, okay?"
The two of them were still wrestling and arguing, completely absorbed in their own chaos.
Neither of them noticed that several cameras in the distance had quietly turned toward them.
...
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