Xavier Lázaro spent a significant part of the week that ends today in Italy, preparing for and participating in his first international competitive event, the 2021 edition of the WSK Final Cup. At the Adria Karting Raceway, the Portuguese driver faced a grand scenario, interacting and competing on the track with the best in the world in the Mini category, with a total of 126 registered drivers.
Com o objetivo de aprender a movimentar-se num cenário competitivo extremo, bem diferente do que está habituado no Campeonato de Portugal de Karting, Xavier Lázaro tinha a missão bem estudada para todos os dias em que saiu para a pista, procurando ao máximo ‘beber’ informação nas sessões de treinos e nas várias mangas de qualificação que determinariam os ‘eleitos’ para as Pré Finais e Final da Mini.
Behind the wheel of an official DR kart within Danilo Rossi's structure, the eight-year-old youngster took his mission to the extreme, progressing in the training sessions and managing to be efficient in the challenging task of completing all the qualifying heats he participated in.
Lack of Experience Affected Performance in Timed Practice Sessions
Com as sessões de treinos livres a sucederem-se a um ritmo alucinante, tudo foi muito mais rápido na habitual azáfama que rodeia Xavier Lázaro num fim de semana de corridas. O piloto da Várzea de Sintra foi evoluindo no seu desempenho em Adria nas sessões livres, mas acabou por pagar um pouco pela sua inexperiência no Qualifying, em que sem conseguir apanhar a tão importante ‘boleia’, acabou por não fazer melhor que o 109º tempo, com o seu registo de 55,734s a deixá-lo distante da pole position (54.213s).
“Aqui é tudo novo para o Xavier”,the father, Vasco Lázaro, stated. “Ficou a ver com quem podia seguir e quando encontrou alguém, eles pararam logo em seguida pois estavam com a sessão terminada”.
Excellent Performance In the Races
Where the Várzea de Sintra driver truly excelled was in the qualifying heats. In all six races he competed in, Xavier Lázaro finished, and almost always in a better position than his starting position. Only in the final qualifying heat on Thursday did the DR driver lose places, finishing in 32nd with a damaged nose after being unable to avoid contact with the driver in front when they braked hard.
On the first day of races, Xavier Lázaro started the three qualifying heats below the top 30. In the first race, he moved up from 31st to 28th, and in the next one, starting from 32nd, he performed even better, finishing in 27th. Only in the final race of this first day did things not go as well for the Portuguese driver: starting in 31st, he finished in 32nd. It's worth mentioning that, following the contact that damaged his nose, Xavier dropped to last place and still managed to recover to 32nd.
In Saturday's qualifying heats, the Portuguese driver maintained his consistency and delivered a very positive performance. In the first race of the day, he started from 32nd, gained four positions, and finished in 28th. The second race of the day didn't go as well; starting from 32nd, he ended up in 33rd. In his final performance of this WSK Final Cup weekend, Xavier Lázaro finished 28th, moving up from 31st place.
Mission accomplished in a learning event and exploration of an entirely new world, where the Portuguese driver approached with humility and never ceased to impress with his determination and talent, despite being younger than many of the other drivers in the Mini category.
“Estou muito satisfeito com o desempenho do Xavier”, said Vasco Lázaro at the end. “Chegou a uma realidade totalmente diferente e nunca se enervou em pista. Esteve sempre atento e seguiu à risca as indicações dadas pela equipe, que nos recebeu muito bem, integrando-nos de imediato na sua estrutura. Saio daqui muito satisfeito, a todos os níveis”.
Happiness and a sense of accomplishment were also evident in the words of the young Portuguese driver. “Foi muito bom poder vir aqui a Itália e estar em pista com os melhores do mundo”, proud Xavier Lázaro stated. “Quero agradecer ao Danilo Rossi e a toda a gente da DR pela forma como me receberam e me deram toda a atenção durante estes dias. Foi muito bom sentir este carinho e o empenho com que todos trabalharam e me ajudaram”.
In this competition, the Portuguese Maria Germano was also part of the official DR team structure. The strength of having a teammate from the same country and the way the two Portuguese drivers got along from the beginning were assets for Xavier Lázaro during this weekend. “Foi muito bom nesta primeira presença internacional, em que tudo é novo para mim, ter uma companheira de equipa com que falo a mesma língua. A Maria foi mais uma ajuda importante e demo-nos bem desde o início”.
Photos: PH24
