Xavier Lázaro competed this week in the second round of the CIK-FIA Karting European Championship, held at the Kartódromo Internacional Lucas Guerrero, on the outskirts of the Spanish city of Valencia.
The Portuguese driver’s path through round two of the Mondokart.com FIA Karting European Championship was far from straightforward. After once again enduring a disappointing Qualifying session, where he posted the 53rd fastest time, 0.869s off pole position, Xavier Lázaro was forced to start from the middle of the pack in each of the five heats he contested.
Chasing a place in the OK Junior Final, the young driver from Várzea de Sintra quickly found himself in difficulty after being hit by another competitor and forced to retire from Heat 1. In the remaining four heats—three of them contested under heavy rain—Xavier Lázaro finished 17th, 14th and 15th, before producing his strongest performance in the final race, where he secured ninth place.
This morning, the 12-year-old driver started Super Heat A from 22nd position, fully aware that a top-15 finish would secure him a place in the OK Junior Final. With an excellent start and very strong pace, the Portuguese driver had already climbed to 17th by the end of the opening lap of 11. Two laps later, he was up to 15th. However, he became the victim of the same rival on three separate occasions, being hit three times over the course of two laps. In the final incident, the contact forced him off the track and into retirement.
A frustrating end to the weekend for Xavier Lázaro, who once again misses out on a place in a CIK-FIA Karting European Championship Final.
Qualifying Continues to Be a Decisive Factor Throughout the Weekend
The importance of a strong Qualifying performance in a round of this championship is enormous. With 92 drivers fighting for a place in the OK Junior Final, starting as close to the front as possible in each of the five heats is absolutely crucial. Unfortunately, Xavier Lázaro was unable to translate his strong pace into a representative result in the timed session. On his best lap, the Portuguese driver failed to leave enough space to the kart ahead and consequently lost time in the final sector of the Valencia circuit, something that was reflected in the stopwatch. His best lap was recorded in 55.865 seconds, certainly around four tenths slower than what had been realistically achievable. As a result, and finishing 0.869s off pole position, Lázaro ended the session in 53rd place, meaning he would start each of his heats between 17th and 18th on the grid.
The opening heat reflected the frustration of a starting position compromised by an ineffective Qualifying session. Starting in the middle of the pack, Xavier Lázaro was immediately caught up in a first-lap multi-kart incident following the start, with he and six other drivers forced into retirement. In the following heat, he was once again hit by another competitor and pushed off the circuit, but managed to rejoin the race. From the back of the field, the Portuguese driver fought his way back through the pack to finish 17th—the very same position from which he had started. However, further improvement was still required to keep hopes of reaching the Final alive.
Yesterday, to make matters even more difficult, heavy rain arrived in Valencia. The circuit quickly turned into something of a lottery and, for Xavier Lázaro, there was absolutely no margin for error—the only solution was to move forward and stay out of trouble. The Portuguese driver managed exactly that, showing maturity and composure. In the following heats, he was efficient and extracted the maximum from his DR package, although it was possible to notice a slight lack of overall performance. In wet conditions, Lázaro consistently reported a lack of lateral grip. Nevertheless, with the fighting spirit for which he is known, he delivered the best results possible, finishing 15th and 14th. A strong result in the final heat then became essential to secure a place in the Super Heat and keep alive the hope of reaching the Final.
With the rain moving away from Valencia, Xavier Lázaro made a strong start and also enjoyed a stroke of luck in the early stages of the final heat. The Portuguese driver avoided a major multi-kart incident that unfolded immediately behind him on the opening lap and went on to deliver a solid race, although it was once again evident that his kart lacked a little outright speed. His eventual ninth-place finish comfortably secured him a spot in Super Heat A, keeping alive the possibility of reaching the Final.
Hit Three Times by ‘Friendly Fire’
This morning, the young Portuguese driver started Super Heat A from 22nd position. Benefiting from a strong launch and the excellent setup of the factory DR kart, Xavier Lázaro had already climbed to 17th by the end of the opening lap and, two laps later, had caught his team-mate Michele Orlando in the battle for 14th place. However, closing rapidly behind the Portuguese driver was his former team-mate Stepan Mazepin, who hit Lázaro three separate times while attempting to overtake. On each occasion, Mazepin forced the DR driver off the track during the manoeuvre, with Lázaro repeatedly recovering the position from the Tony Kart driver. The third attempt ultimately proved decisive. Mazepin once again pushed the young DR driver wide, this time sending him off the circuit and forcing his retirement from the race. Xavier Lázaro was left devastated at the finish, once again missing out on a Final for which he had fought hard and at one stage looked firmly on course to reach.
Xavier Lázaro returns to competition on the first weekend of June for the third round of the Champions of the Future, held at Motorsportarena Mülsen.
Photos: Sportinphoto Kart Photo-Agency
