Xavier Lázaro kicked off the 2024 season of the WSK Promotion calendar at the WSK Champions Cup, a competition that started today and runs until Sunday at the South Garda Karting in Lonato.
With the first day dedicated to official free practice, Qualifying, and the initial Heats, the driver from Várzea de Sintra had a challenging day but managed to overcome all difficulties, securing good results on the track. With the weather quite unstable in Lonato, Xavier Lázaro faced some setbacks in terms of chassis tuning for the DR in the rainy free practice sessions. During the qualifying session on dry track conditions, he faced a moment of concern when the DR engine didn't start at the beginning of the session, taking some time for the 10-year-old to resolve the issue and hit the track. Despite the time lost, he ended up completing his laps far from any competitors but still secured the 5th position in his group, ranking 10th overall in the Mini Sub 10 category. His lap time of 53.656 seconds left him about half a second behind the pole position holder, Patrick Bissa (EKR/TM Kart/VEGA).
Strong Performances in the Heats of the Day
Due to his qualifying result, Xavier Lázaro secured the 4th position on the starting grid for all the Heats he will compete in until the end of tomorrow. Today, the driver from Várzea de Sintra raced in two of these Heats and delivered strong performances in both. In the first Heat, starting from the fourth position on the outside for turn one, the DR driver was unfocused in the initial phase, dropping to 10th place by the second lap. After regaining focus, Xavier Lázaro started to climb positions, finishing the nine-lap race in 5th place, also setting the fastest lap. Despite knowing he is capable of better, the Portuguese driver deserves credit for staying focused and minimizing the impact of his challenging start in the race.
In Heat 2, Xavier Lázaro once again struggled to find the best rhythm at the beginning of the race, losing some positions at the start. In a phase where rain started in Lonato, and everyone was still racing on dry tires, the Portuguese driver managed to stay focused while simultaneously regaining positions and moving up the ranks. As the rain increased, making the track more challenging, Xavier Lázaro reached the second position but couldn't catch up to the race leader. Similar to the Portuguese driver, the leader was highly efficient in difficult traction conditions. Once again, Lázaro secured the fastest lap of the race, finishing in second place, 8.517 seconds behind the winner, Patrick Bissa.
Tomorrow, the final Heats will take place, with Xavier Lázaro currently well-positioned to secure a spot in the Pre-Final of the Mini Sub 10 category in the WSK Champions Cup.
Photos: Sportinphoto Kart Photo-Agency
