Xavier Lázaro raced today in the first stage of the ACI Italian Karting Championship, held at the Sicilian Circuito Internazionale Triscina. In the event that marked his return to Mini Gr. 3, the Portuguese driver secured qualification for the two decisive races of the category, but ultimately had a performance below his expectations. After a good start in Race 1, Lázaro briefly held the fifth position, but a lack of speed caused him to be overtaken by several drivers. He finished the race in 14th place, three positions below where he had started. For Race 2, starting from the outside of the track, Xavier Lázaro dropped to 24th in the first corners of Triscina, managed to recover to 16th place, but lost a position on the last lap, finishing in 17th.
After being the ninth fastest in Qualifying, among the 52 present drivers, subsequently finishing the two heats he contested in 10th and sixth positions, the SM Racing driver had high hopes of fighting for top positions in today's two decisive races. Although in the two most important races of the category this weekend, Xavier Lázaro did not confirm the good indicators shown in Qualifying and Heats, he leaves Triscina satisfied with his performance.
Strong in the Mini Among the Most Experienced
For the entirety of the ACI Italian Karting Championship, Xavier Lázaro will compete in Mini Gr. 3. This is the category where the most experienced drivers are found. When he started competing in Mini outside of Portugal two years ago, the young racer from Várzea de Sintra already encountered many of the drivers he raced against this weekend, although at that time, at just eight years old, he was truly a rookie.
More experienced and competitive, Xavier Lázaro quickly showed that he was fully prepared for this phase of Mini Gr. 3. Always among the fastest, behind the wheel of the Gillard/TM, the Portuguese driver secured the ninth-best time in Qualifying, just 0.208 seconds off the pole position.
In both Heats, Xavier Lázaro always started from the outside (6th) and while in the first one he couldn't do better than 10th, he had his best performance in Heat 2, where he secured 6th place, showing himself comfortable competing for top positions in a highly competitive category. Gradually, the SM Racing young driver is solidifying himself as a consistent competitor among the strongest.
Temporary Break in Pace on Sunday Affects Result
On today's day, Xavier Lázaro started Race 1 from 11th place. The Portuguese driver took off like a bullet and quickly found himself in the top five, giving the impression that he would contend for the victory. However, as the race progressed, he lost speed, being overtaken by several opponents. At the end of the eight laps, the SM Racing driver ended up no better than 14th place.
For Race 2, he started from 14th place. Starting from the outside, the Portuguese driver struggled a lot on the first lap, dropping to 24th position. Without backing down from the fight, Xavier Lázaro sought a better result and quickly managed to reach 16th place. However, he was ultimately hindered by Nikita Botte's overly defensive driving, and on the final lap of the race, he even lost a position, finishing in 17th.
Despite a less than stellar Sunday, Xavier Lázaro leaves Triscina satisfied with his performance and always grateful for the work of SM Racing over the various days in Sicilian soil.
Photos: Sportinphoto Kart Photo-Agency
