Xavier Lázaro finished in second place today in the Mini Gr. 3 Final of the 3rd round of the WSK Super Master Series, held at South Garda Karting in Lonato, Italy. This was yet another brilliant result for the young Portuguese driver who, at just eleven years old, continues to prove that he is more than just a promise—a solid talent for the future of national motorsport.
At the wheel of the official DR/TM Kart/VEGA of the team led by five-time world karting champion Danilo Rossi, the young driver from Várzea de Sintra started today's Final from pole position. On a track wet from the morning rain in Lonato, Xavier Lázaro took the lead in the opening laps, closely followed by his main rival in the category, Niccoló Perico. Around the halfway point of the nine-lap race, the Italian took the lead and held onto it until the finish, crossing the line 1.417 seconds ahead of the Portuguese driver, with France’s Stan Ratajski completing the podium. However, the race classification is currently suspended due to an appeal from Niccoló Perico’s team. The Italian driver was disqualified from Pre-Final A—which he had won this morning—after being found half a kilo under the regulatory weight in the post-race inspection. With this disqualification, he should have started the Final from 27th place instead of ninth, the position he was granted due to his team’s appeal.
As for Xavier Lázaro, he proved in Lonato why he is currently the best driver competing in the Mini Gr. 3 category. After once again not performing as strongly as expected in Qualifying—where he set the 17th fastest overall time in Mini Gr. 3—the young driver from Várzea de Sintra won the first of four Heats contested this weekend. In Heat 2, just after moving up to third place with two laps to go, he was pushed off the track by French driver Stan Ratajski, eventually finishing in 21st. In the final two Heats, he raced with full determination, winning both decisively and without challenge.
Today, in the rain, the young DR driver won Pre-Final B, despite not having the best start, dropping from first to fifth position within the first two corners. On a very slippery track, Xavier Lázaro quickly found his rhythm, launching a comeback that ended midway through the fourth lap when he took the lead—one he held onto until the finish.
With three of the five rounds of the WSK Super Master Series now completed, regardless of what happens with Niccoló Perico, Xavier Lázaro leaves Lonato as the category leader, with only his points advantage yet to be determined. The next round of this competition, organized by WSK Promotion, will take place from March 5 to 9 in Franciacorta.
Did Not Perform Well in Qualifying
Thanks to his remarkable performance in the previous round of the WSK Super Master Series in Sarno, Xavier Lázaro arrived in Lonato as the championship leader and in excellent form this season. As a result, he became the prime target for his rivals, serving as the benchmark to follow in Qualifying. However, the young Portuguese driver was not at his best during the session, making a few mistakes that cost him the chance to secure pole position. He finished his session in sixth place, which translated to 17th overall in the standings.
Dominant in the Heats but with a 'Target on His Back'
With many more entries in the Mini Gr. 3 for this round of the WSK Super Master Series—78 participants in total—it was necessary for everyone to compete in four Heats before the Pre-Final and Final. Right from the first Heat, Xavier Lázaro made his intentions clear. Starting from seventh place, the 11-year-old from Várzea de Sintra quickly climbed to third. With a strong attitude on the track, he fought for the top position against his main rivals, Elton Hedfors (Parolin/TM Kart/VEGA) and Stan Ratajski (Parolin/Iame/VEGA). The three drivers exchanged the lead, but in the final lap, Xavier Lázaro demonstrated his current superiority in the category, winning decisively ahead of the Swedish driver from Parolin Motorsport, with the French driver from Baby Race Driver Academy finishing in third.
In Heat 2, Xavier Lázaro again started from seventh and had another strong race, this time choosing to manage his pace behind the main rivals. With two laps to go, he began his charge for the top positions, overtaking Stan Ratajski to take third. However, after making the pass on the French driver, he was pushed off track by the Baby Race Driver Academy pilot. As the leader of the competition and without teammates to defend him in Mini Gr. 3, Xavier Lázaro is starting to become a 'target' for some of his opponents. The Portuguese driver fell to 21st place, finishing the race in that position. Stan Ratajski was not penalized for the maneuver, but since he damaged the front of his Parolin by hitting Xavier’s DR, he received a five-second penalty, finishing 10th in the Heat, which was won by one of his teammates at Baby Race Driver Academy, the American Liam Nachawati.
The remaining two Heats were affirming for the DR driver. After being hindered by an opponent's actions, but fully aware of the tough nature of motorsport, Xavier Lázaro did not back down and won Heats 3 and 4. In both, he dealt with and surpassed the competition, including the driver who had pushed him out of contention in the previous race. Once again, he had to navigate the 'strange' maneuvers—though within the rules—of the Baby Race Driver Academy drivers, who exchanged positions on the grid before the start to position themselves favorably for the races, which also affected the starting positions of other drivers, including Xavier Lázaro.
As a result of his poor Qualifying, Xavier Lázaro started from seventh position in both races and perfectly managed all moments during the heats. He climbed through the ranks to become the leader in Heat 3 and won. In Heat 4, the rain mixed things up and forced the drivers to decide which tires to use. Everyone opted to race on dry tires. The Portuguese driver led in the final laps and established a lead that he simply managed until the checkered flag.
Won the Pre-Final on a Wet Track
Today, we started the day in Lonato as it had ended yesterday, with a wet track. On a circuit that became treacherous, difficult, and very slippery, Xavier Lázaro contested Pre-Final B, starting from second position for 10 laps of racing. The young Portuguese driver did not have a great start and dropped to fifth place, while Mark Loomets from the MP Academy Gamoto (Henza Kart/TM Kart/VEGA) pulled ahead. In the following laps, Xavier Lázaro demonstrated his strength in any track conditions, overtaking his rivals one by one and closing in on Mark Loomets. Midway through the fourth lap, Xavier Lázaro passed the Estonian and took the lead. He immediately opened up about a second’s advantage, which he managed until the end. The Portuguese driver did not need to win this race, as a second place would have been enough to start from pole position, but points are important, and Xavier Lázaro is 'hungry' for victories.
With the points tally in the WSK Super Master Series becoming increasingly important, Xavier Lázaro also received the good news that Niccoló Perico (Team Driver Racing Kart – KR/Iame/VEGA) was disqualified after winning Pre-Final B, having arrived at the weigh-in at the parc fermé underweight at the end of a race where he started from 11th. The Italian driver has appealed the decision, which could mean that this situation will take several months to resolve.
Final Results Postponed and Lots of Controversy
Starting from pole position on a wet track, Xavier Lázaro took the lead of the race from the start, maintaining that position in the early laps, closely followed by French driver Stan Ratajski. While the Portuguese driver held the front, Niccoló Perico began to rise through the ranks from his 11th place starting position. Around halfway through the race, the Italian driver from Team Driver Racing Kart took the lead, managing about a second and a half advantage over Xavier Lázaro until the finish. The top two finished in those positions, with French driver Stan Ratajski taking third in the Baby Race Driver Academy kart.
In the end, there was no podium, as the classification was suspended until a verdict is reached regarding Niccoló Perico's team's appeal against his disqualification from Pre-Final A. Since he was disqualified from Pre-Final A, Niccoló Perico should have started the Final from 27th position. It is unclear why he started from ninth, which provided a significant advantage and helped him reach the first position. Starting from the position he should have been assigned would have made it very difficult for him to achieve that. So, let us patiently await the next developments. Surely, WSK Promotion will ensure that the regulations are upheld in this matter.
In the end, Xavier Lázaro did not forget to thank those who work hard to ensure that he can give his best on the track. “Thank you very much to my family, who are always there with all their support to help me. Thanks also to Danilo and the entire DR team, to my mechanic Gregório, and to Marco Salemi for the excellent engines.”.
Photos: Sportinphoto Kart Photo-Agency
