Continuing his first international program in the Mini category, Xavier Lázaro raced in the past weekend at the 1st round of the WSK Open Cup, an event held at the South Garda Karting track in Lonato, Italy. Over the three days of the event, with weather conditions constantly changing between rain and dry weather, the Portuguese driver had the opportunity to showcase his growing improvement, not only in terms of competitiveness but also in managing the equipment during the race.
Performance in Qualifying Perhaps the Best So Far
Among the 87 drivers from various countries who recorded times in the Qualifying session, Xavier Lázaro had what is probably his best performance so far in this first round of the Open Cup. Uninhibited and motivated by his recent good performance in the final round of the CPK Toyota, the Várzea de Sintra driver recorded the 11th-best time in his session, with the best lap at 1m13.101s, one second behind the fastest. In the overall classification, the Portuguese driver secured the 48th position, roughly in the middle of the Mini category field.
Competent Even in the Rain
Due to his qualifying result, Xavier Lázaro started the qualification heats from the 8th row of the starting grid. With rain present on the first day of the competition, the Portuguese driver had to work hard, not only due to the challenging track conditions but also because he consistently found himself on the side of the starting grid that proved to be slower off the line. As a result, the DR youngster often lost several positions early in the race, necessitating additional effort. Despite strong performances on the track, consistently battling for positions without compromising the integrity of his DR in most cases, Xavier Lázaro did not always finish the qualification heats without damaging the kart's nose. Nonetheless, he finished 22nd (-6) and 20th (-4) on the first day.
On Saturday, the rain was replaced by sunshine and good track conditions. While visibility improved, the already high levels of competitiveness among all drivers increased. Once again, Xavier Lázaro demonstrated how he has become faster, more combative, and, above all, consistent and steady in races.
Facing the same issues that affected him at the start of the heats on the first day, Xavier Lázaro did his best on Saturday as well. He lost positions at the beginning, stuck in a slower line of drivers, but managed to recover some of them during the race. Particularly competent in avoiding mistakes, the DR driver finished 21st (-5), 19th (-3), and 25th (-9). After five races, Xavier Lázaro had the merit of securing a spot in Pre-Final B, starting from the 33rd position.
Aware that only with a very favorable combination of factors would it be possible to qualify for the Final, the nine-year-old driver raced completely uninhibited and performed competently, ultimately finishing in 28th place.
Mission Accomplished and Encouragement for the Future
Taking stock of this race, it must be considered very positive. In fact, the linear progression that Xavier Lázaro has been demonstrating is already causing changes to his competitive calendar for this season. The Portuguese driver will be participating in the WSK Final Cup, with the first round scheduled for Sarno on November 6, followed by another visit to Lonato on November 20. Before that, and already next week, Xavier Lázaro will compete in the Taça de Portugal in Braga, the most important karting event in Portugal.
"It wasn't in our plans to participate in the Final Cup, but Xavier's recent performances end up making this a logical step", said Vasco Lázaro, the father of the young Portuguese driver. "The leap in competitiveness he has made in recent weeks is significant, and it motivates us even more to start preparing for the year 2023. However, all our focus is now on the Taça de Portugal, even though we are aware that Xavier is a bit behind in terms of preparation for the event. While his competitors were able to practice this weekend, we were continuing with his international calendar"
Xavier Lázaro is also already focused on the big karting celebration in Portugal. "I am very motivated to participate in the Taça de Portugal in Braga", said Xavier. "I am a bit behind the 'competition' in preparing for the event, but I will do my best to be competitive and fight for the top positions".
Photos: Sportinphoto Kart Photo-Agency
