Xavier Lázaro competed this weekend in the opening round of the WSK Euro Series, held at the transalpine Leopard Circuit of Viterbo under the auspices of WSK Promotion. It was a race the Portuguese driver will not want to remember, as nothing went right from the Qualifying session, where he managed no better than 37th fastest among the 47 OKJ entrants.
With rain affecting the first day of competition, Xavier Lázaro crashed in the first Heats race, immediately compromising his chances of a good result. On the second day, under dry conditions, the young driver from Várzea de Sintra retired in Heat 2 after his engine seized on the sixth lap. In Heat 3, he could do no better than 17th place, which ruled him out of qualifying for the Final. This morning, in Pre-Final A, Xavier started from 23rd position and managed to gain five places to finish 18th.
The Portuguese driver returns to Italy next weekend to race again in Viterbo, this time in the third round of the WSK Super Master Series.
Qualifying Went Badly
The Qualifying session took place under heavy rain, which proved to be an additional challenge for Xavier Lázaro, who is still searching for his best pace in these conditions. Although the Portuguese driver had been among the fastest during the test sessions leading up to the race weekend, he was unable to confirm that performance in the timed session. He went out on track in the middle of a group of other drivers and never managed to find either the right rhythm or the ideal lap. The result was 37th fastest out of the 47 participants (19th in his group).
Condicionado pelo mau Qualifying, Xavier Lázaro largou de 19º na Eliminatória 1. Embora a pista estivesse molhada, todos os pilotos foram para a corrida de slicks. Na primeira volta, acabou numa ‘carambola’ que envolveu vários participantes, sendo forçado a abandonar.
Yesterday, under good weather conditions, Heat 2 also did not go well, as the official DR Modena Engines engine seized on the sixth lap. With this result, Xavier Lázaro was already aware that he would not qualify for the Final.
In Heat 3, the Portuguese driver Xavier Lázaro finally managed to finish a race, once again starting from 19th position and crossing the line in 17th place.
This morning, the 12-year-old went out from 23rd position to compete in Pre-Final A. With a strong performance, he moved up through the field to complete the 10-lap race in 18th place.
Continuing his preparation for the CIK-FIA Karting program, which will kick off in April at La Conca with the opening round of the Champions of the Future, Xavier Lázaro returns to competition next weekend to race in Viterbo for the 3rd round of the WSK Super Master Series.
Photos: Sportinphoto Kart Photo-Agency
