Xavier Lázaro continued his extensive international competitive calendar last weekend, participating in the second round of the ACI Italian Karting Championship. For the second competitive weekend racing at the International Circuit La Conca in Muro Leccese, the Portuguese driver had justified expectations of achieving a good result in the two decisive races.
With the unstable weather and some rain during the early days of the event, including during Qualifying, Xavier Lázaro demonstrated competitiveness. However, it was evident from the beginning that the Portuguese driver, like most drivers using TM engines, would be at a performance disadvantage compared to those competing with IAME units.
In the Qualifying session, perhaps the moment when the Portuguese driver was not as proactive, Xavier Lázaro still secured the ninth-best time in his session, corresponding to the 17th best overall classification in the Mini Sub-10 class.
In the three Heats that determined participation in the two final races, the driver from Várzea de Sintra performed well, making the most of his equipment, although it was evident early on that the TM engine in his DR was at a disadvantage against much of his competition. The Portuguese driver fully achieved the goal of finishing the races unscathed, finishing eighth twice and securing sixth place in the final Heat.
With Xavier Lázaro's results comfortably placing him in the two final races, the Portuguese driver had excellent performances, which he could not translate into good results due to sheer bad luck. In Race 1, starting from the 15th position among 36 drivers, Xavier Lázaro had an unlucky start, being affected by a collision involving several drivers in front of him, losing contact with the front-runners. Determined, the Portuguese driver fought back and gained positions, eventually reaching the 11th place. However, his engine lacked some power, and Xavier Lázaro was powerless to defend against a group of drivers ahead of him but with a much better pace. From 11th, the Portuguese driver dropped to the 14th final position.
In the final race, Xavier Lázaro again had a good start and quickly began to gain positions, reaching the top 10 and 'promising' to continue improving until the checkered flag. However, three laps from the end, in a jump section of the Apulia region track, Xavier Lázaro was struck by bad luck as the chain of his DR jumped. He ended up finishing the race in 33rd place, three laps behind.
Now Xavier Lázaro has to prepare for his next event, which is already next weekend in Sarno.
Technically, There Is Work to Be Done
After this weekend, now that we are in June, Xavier Lázaro already 'carries on his shoulders' a good part of the season in the Mini Sub-10 class, specifically with 13 races contested, in a program that will include nine more until December. At the age of nine, in his first full season of international karting, focused on the WSK and ACI Italian Championship calendars, the Portuguese driver is evolving, gaining experience and competitiveness. As is normal in an evolutionary process, stages are overcome, some better than others.
Although this year, Xavier Lázaro has faced a much more intense competitive level than he regularly encountered in competition in Portugal, the DR driver has mostly had good performances, showing talent and the foundations for a significant room for progress. This fact has not gone unnoticed in a 'paddock' where the world's largest karting manufacturers are present.
Even though in 2023, for most of the season contested so far, Xavier Lázaro has raced without teammates, the Portuguese driver continues to show strength, even without having anyone to evolve and train with on the track.
At DR, the team of the five-time World Champion, Danilo Rossi, Xavier Lázaro has had the foundation for a healthy and competent evolution. Everyone in the Arce structure has made an effort for Xavier Lázaro not only to continue his learning but also to set among his legitimate goals good results and the possibility of fighting for top positions in the Mini Sub-10 class.
However, here in the season, both the team and the Portuguese driver have proven powerless against the visible lack of competitiveness of the TM engines. This problem is not only reflected in the Portuguese driver but in all those who have used these engines in WSK and Italian Championship competitions, which are currently at a disadvantage compared to the competitor IAME. For most of the season, there have been glaring deficiencies in competitiveness in the TM engines, with some of their preparers showing significant discrepancies in efficiency, or in this case, the lack of it.
There is a lot of work to be done until the end of the season so that Xavier Lázaro and the DR team do not have a second part of the season where their good work and effort on the track are systematically jeopardized by the current lack of competitiveness of the TM engines.
Another Portuguese in the Structure
Despite Xavier Lázaro being the only driver in the Mini Sub-10 class in the official DR structure at the moment, this weekend the driver from Várzea de Sintra gained another Portuguese 'in the tent.' Martim Marques joined the DR 'family' to compete in the Junior class. The young Portuguese driver started well in his connection to DR, making it to the Finals and finishing the two races in 14th and 23rd.
Photos: Sportinphoto Kart Photo-Agency
