Xavier Lázaro secured 13th place today in the OKJ (Junior) Final of the second round of the WSK Final Cup, a competition under the aegis of WSK Promotion, held at the Italian Cremona Circuit. At the wheel of a DR kart powered by a Modena Engines motor, the 12-year-old delivered a remarkable performance in his second competitive weekend driving a kart in the OKJ category, to which he moved after completing almost a full season in OKNJ.
In Cremona, Xavier Lázaro performed at a very high level throughout the entire weekend, proving competitive against many of the top names in the category. After securing the 25th fastest time in Qualifying—just three-tenths of a second off pole position—the young driver from Várzea de Sintra showed both speed and consistency in all three Heats. Although he was hindered in the first Heat by contact from another driver when he was already running ninth, which dropped him to 20th at the finish, the Portuguese driver secured 14th place in the next Heat and achieved his best result in Heat 3, finishing seventh. For all three Heats, Xavier Lázaro started from 13th position.
This morning in Pre-Final A, starting 12th and on the outside of the track, the Portuguese driver remained consistently in the leading group and in intense battles for position, finishing 11th. For the Final, he started from 21st, and by the end of the first lap he was already up to 14th, finishing the 15-lap race in 13th place.
Xavier Lázaro will return to Italy next weekend to prepare for the final round of the WSK Final Cup, which will take place in Lonato from November 19 to 23.
Good Feeling in Qualifying
After having his entire weekend affected by a poor Qualifying result in the first round of this competition in Franciacorta, everything was different for Xavier Lázaro in Cremona. Always competitive in all Practice sessions, the official DR driver delivered in Qualifying, finishing 13th in his group and securing the 25th fastest time in a field of 67 drivers. His lap of 48.302s left him just over three-tenths of a second off pole position.
To compete in the three Heats on the road to a possible Final, Xavier Lázaro started each race from 13th position. With a very good start in Heat 1, he climbed up to ninth place before being hit by another driver, which sent him off the track. The young driver from Várzea de Sintra managed to rejoin the race but dropped to 20th, where he eventually finished. In Heat 2, he faced a tough race, constantly involved in close battles and duels, finishing 14th. The final Heat showed a strong and fearless Xavier. Growing increasingly comfortable in the DR OKJ kart, the Portuguese driver steadily climbed through the field to finish in a spectacular seventh place.
The Desire to Make the Final Was Strong
This morning, the Portuguese driver started Pre-Final A from 12th place, on the outside of the track. With a strong start, Xavier Lázaro stayed in the leading group, racing fiercely and showing no fear despite it being only his second competitive weekend in OKJ, competing against much more experienced drivers. After an intense battle in a race not for the faint-hearted, the DR driver secured 11th place, earning a spot in the Final and starting from 21st position.
In the decisive race, Xavier Lázaro “shot off the line” and was already in 14th place by the end of the first lap. From there, moving up the positions became more difficult, but the Portuguese driver stayed with the leading group, fighting for every meter of the track. His sector times and lap times provided excellent indicators for the future, as did his 13th place finish in his first Final in the category, notably ahead of the current European Champion, Dutch driver Dean Hoogendoorn (Prema Racing/KR/Iame/VEGA).
A few (short) days of rest follow, before Xavier Lázaro returns to Italy next weekend to begin preparing for the final round of the WSK Final Cup, scheduled to take place at South Garda Karting in Lonato from November 19 to 23.
Photos: Sportinphoto Kart Photo-Agency
