Present at the International Karting Circuit of Bombarral (KIRO) in the final round of the Campeonato de Portugal de Karting Toyota this year, Xavier Lázaro made it clear on the track how he is fully reaping the rewards of learning that began in 2021 during his transition to the X30 Mini category. The young driver from Várzea de Sintra has been diligently working on his posture and competitiveness in a category where he stands out as a 'David against Goliath,' competing against opponents who mostly have much more experience and age. This weekend, all of that was left behind, given the evident maturity, speed, and competence of the DR team driver, who performed exceptionally well on the track, especially on Sunday.
Saturday to Learn
Right from the first laps on the track in the West Region, it was evident that Xavier Lázaro came to Bombarral well-prepared and with ambitions to compete for top positions in the X30 Mini category. In the qualifying session, the driver from Várzea de Sintra narrowly missed securing the pole position, qualifying with the 2nd best time (52.008s), just 0.155 seconds behind the pole position holder.
In the Qualifying Heat on the same day, Xavier Lázaro made a small yet significant mistake, causing the engine to get wet and ultimately starting outside the racing lanes, resulting in a penalty. The driver dropped several positions, and in the attempt to recover, he unfortunately damaged the front of his DR, leading to a second penalty. Despite being quite fast, setting the fastest lap of the race, and finishing third on the track, with the penalties, Xavier Lázaro fell to the 11th final position.
"It ended up getting into a mess without any need", at the end of the heat, his father, Vasco Lázaro, said. "Now, in Race 1, he has to try to climb as many positions as possible."
In Race 1, the DR driver fulfilled what was asked of him – to recover as many positions as possible. Lázaro started in 11th place, and by the end of the race, he had climbed six positions, finishing in 5th place with the fastest lap of the race (52.327s).
Sunday to Execute
After leaving Bombarral on the first day of the races with frustration for not being able to translate his pace into results, the DR driver came with a different mindset for the final day of races. The first sign of what was to come arrived in the Qualifying session, where Xavier Lázaro secured his first pole position in X30 Mini. The time of 52.314s left his closest pursuer 0.337s behind.
In the Qualifying Heat, the second of the weekend, Xavier Lázaro was flawless, even though he momentarily conceded the first position to Diogo Caetano (Birel). However, the strong performance of this nine-year-old emerged during the race. Xavier Lázaro took the lead and built an advantage that, when the checkered flag waved, was significantly more than two seconds ahead of Martim Marques (Kart Republic), securing his first victory in X30 Mini.
In the final race of this year in the Campeonato de Portugal de Karting Toyota, Xavier Lázaro led until the last lap when he was surpassed by Martim Marques, who won and became the Portuguese Champion in the category. The driver behind the wheel of a Kart Republic finished with a slim advantage of 0.243s over Xavier Lázaro, who was undoubtedly the protagonist of the race.
"Throughout all this time since last year when he started dividing his presence between tracks in Portugal and Italy, Xavier has been dedicated and knew how to endure behind the wheel of the X30 Mini DR", his father, Vasco Lázaro, said, happy and proud. "It took a lot of sacrifice to reach this moment, where it becomes evident that the path outlined for Xavier's competitive evolution is starting to bear fruit. He is becoming more secure and confident behind the wheel of his kart, also showing that he learns quickly from mistakes. Xavier is no longer a promise but a certainty", he concluded.
Xavier Lázaro said, "I am very happy with my performance this weekend, especially today when I could really be effective. I wasn't as good yesterday, but I learned from the mistakes made to achieve what is so far my best result in X30 Mini today. I hope to continue in this way and pursue my progress."
The driver from Várzea de Sintra concluded by saying, "I want to congratulate Martim Marques for being a fair X30 Mini Champion. He totally deserves this title for everything he has done on the track this year. I also want to congratulate Romeu Mello for his performance in this Bombarral stage, for which he dedicated a lot and showed strength."
The results of this race can be checked HERE.
Photos: Hellofoto
