This weekend, Xavier Lázaro participated in the second stage of the Portuguese Karting Championship, held at the International Karting Circuit of Leiria. The event didn't go well for the Várzea de Sintra driver, but it was quite rich in lessons for the future.
Heading into another round of the championship, the expectations were actually quite high, largely based on the data gathered during preparation for the event, particularly in the testing sessions conducted in the weeks and days leading up to it. Apparently, everything indicated that progress in learning would be noticeable during timed practices, qualifying heats, and races, reflected in the results.
"Xavier prepared well for this stage", said his father, Vasco Lázaro, after the conclusion of the race program, Sunday afternoon. "We practiced enough so that this could be another positive weekend in his development on the track".
Right at the beginning of the official program for the race organized by the Leiria Motor Sports Club (NDML), during the free practice sessions, it was clear that the weekend was going to be tough for young Xavier, the youngest driver among all those competing in the X30 Mini category. In both sessions, it was never possible to improve upon the slowest time, almost a second behind the fastest on the track.
The scenario repeated itself in Qualifying 1, with Xavier's best lap being recorded at 51.391s, distant from the 50.484s achieved by the pole position holder.
In the races, the positive highlight was the 13th place (out of 15 drivers) in the 1st Qualifying Heat, with Xavier being consistent on the track, although not able to display the same competitive levels shown in the initial stage of the championship. In Race 1, he couldn't do better than second to last, after a nose penalty following an error on the track. His best lap was recorded at 52.464s, leaving him a second and a half behind the fastest.
Sunday started the same as Saturday ended, meaning in the free practice sessions, Xavier again clocked his best lap nearly two seconds slower than the fastest on the track, something that was also evident in the Qualifying session, where he emerged with the 14th time, 2.275s off the pole position. It was at this point that his team (Cabo Júnior Team) detected a bent crankshaft in the IAME engine that equips the Kart Republic chassis.
For the two races on Sunday, with that technical uncertainty resolved but rain adding to the challenge, the young racer from Várzea de Sintra continued to give his best effort on the track, aiming to stay close to his main competitors this season. However, while on one hand we could see in Leiria that the competition had progressed technically, on the other hand, Xavier made some small errors in the 2nd Qualifying Heat and Race 2, which ultimately had a significant impact on the results, finishing 14th (after a nose penalty) and 13th.
“"It's important to never lose focus; this is a learning season for 'Xavi'", said Vasco Lázaro. "He's just seven years old, two years younger than most of his competitors, and many of them already have a year of competition in this type of equipment under their belts. This weekend didn't go well on several levels, but it serves as a learning experience like all the others. Xavier is incredibly competitive, and this weekend he tried everything to keep up with those he's been racing against. However, at times, he made mistakes. It's part of it; this year is for learning, and he's doing just that."
All the weekend's results can be consulted HERE.
