This weekend, Xavier Lázaro continued his ambitious karting competitive calendar by racing in the 1st stage of the WSK Open Series at the South Garda Karting track in Lonato, Italy. Competing in the Mini Sub-10 category, the Portuguese driver performed well on a track he knows well, showcasing his current competitiveness behind the wheel of the official DR kart.
Always among the fastest in all free practice sessions, including the Warm Up, the nine-year-old struggled to be as efficient in the Heats, although securing a spot in the Final was not a major challenge. In the decisive race, he started 22nd, and despite losing two positions early on, he was quick and aggressive in the first third of the race, briefly holding the 15th position. However, he was involved in contact with an opponent, dropping outside the top 20. He managed to regain one position until the checkered flag, but was later deemed at fault for a supposed contact with an opponent, resulting in a drop to 32nd. Despite this setback, he left a positive impression in Lonato, once again showing that he is learning to thrive in the tense racing environment, indicating that he will be one to watch in the near future.
“O Xavier esteve bem durante todo o fim de semana, mostrando que está sempre a evoluir, mesmo se por vezes isso não aparece nos resultados das corridas”,the father, Vasco Lázaro, stated. “A cada fim de semana que passa, vamos todos ficando cientes que o seu futuro no karting é aqui em Itália, no WSK e não só, já que a intensidade em cada sessão e a quantidade de corridas por fim de semana são um incomparável volume de aprendizagem”.
After this initial round of the Open Series, focusing on preparation for the next stage on March 30th in Cremona, Xavier Lázaro will test tomorrow and on Tuesday at the track near San Martino Del Lago.
Always Among the Fastest in the Practices
Se analisarmos o desempenho do piloto português em todas as sessões de treinos livres desta 1ª etapa do Open Series, incluindo no Warm Up de hoje, Xavier Lázaro figurou sempre entre os pilotos mais rápidos na categoria Mini, mesmo se levarmos em conta que o jovem da Várzea de Sintra está na Sub-10, para aqueles que ainda estão abaixo dos 10 anos de idade. Em todas as sessões, o piloto de nove anos esteve entre os sete mais rápidos de todos os participantes da Mini, numa delas vindo mesmo a registar o quarto melhor tempo. Aliás, convém dizer que a rapidez do jovem português é já reconhecida entre os seus pares, com alguns dos mais sonantes nomes da Mini a esperarem por Xavier Lázaro para ir na sua ‘cola’ nos treinos.
Without Being Brilliant, Xavier Lázaro Fulfilled In the Qualifying
Well aware of the importance of a good performance in the Qualifying during a WSK competition weekend, Xavier Lázaro fulfilled the mission in Lonato, even if he couldn't be as decisive as in the free practices. The Portuguese driver, it's worth noting, is one of the youngest in the Mini category, recorded the seventh-best time in his series, which translated to the 14th time in the Mini Sub-10 (50 participants).
Sobreviveu às ‘Batalhas’ nas Eliminatórias
For the three Heats in this first round of the Open Series, Xavier Lázaro brought his lessons well studied, focusing primarily on securing a good position for the Pre-Final. However, the Portuguese driver did not always manage to translate the indicators he showed in practice onto the track. In the 1st Heat, Xavier Lázaro finished in 11th place, three positions below where he started. In Heat 2, he had his worst performance of the weekend, concluding in 22nd place. The DR engine failed several times during the race, and the team's telemetry analysis revealed that on the straight, the TM (Tony Kart) was sometimes 1000 rpm below the desired level. In addition to the evident lack of speed in the DR, Xavier Lázaro was also hindered by contact with an opponent, going off the track.
In Heat 3, starting from seventh position, the Portuguese driver ended up finishing in 10th place.
“O Xavier por vezes ainda não consegue em corrida ser tão forte como nos treinos”, said Vasco Lázaro. “Há que continuar a trabalhar para que evolua também no stress das corridas”.
Good Performances in the Pre-Final and Final
Penalized by the performance in Heat 2, Xavier Lázaro started the Pre-Final A in 13th place. Without taking unnecessary risks and focusing on the goal of securing the best possible position for the Final, the DR youngster delivered a solid performance, finishing in 8th place, which translated to the 22nd position for the decisive race.
At the start, the Portuguese driver couldn't make the most efficient move and lost two positions, but within the first lap, he reacted and pushed for a strong performance, putting him in the top 15 a couple of laps later. However, he eventually received contact in the heat of the competition among several karts, dropping to 20th. He fought back and gained a position by overtaking Nicolo Pericco. On the track, Xavier Lázaro finished in 19th place, but the organizers deemed his pass on the son of the Italian rally champion too forceful. With a five-second penalty, Xavier Lázaro dropped to 32nd place.
“O Xavier tem levado toques em várias corridas, algumas vezes chamar-lhes toques é um elogio”, said Vasco Lázaro. “Mas nunca vi nenhum dos seus adversários ser penalizado. Talvez ser filho de um campeão de ralis traga algumas vantagens por aqui”, Vasco Lázaro exclaimed disheartened.
Despite the result in the Final not being the best, once again, there are positive signs from the weekend, starting with the clear and continuous improvement of Xavier Lázaro in an environment of tremendous competitiveness, where the Portuguese driver is gradually adapting.
Segue-se já uma nova etapa muito em breve, em Cremona, um traçado que se estreia no ‘universo’ WSK e que por isso será novidade para todos os participantes.
“Vamos já daqui para Cremona, para testar dois dias na nova pista”, said Vasco Lázaro. “Para terça-feira está prevista chuva, o que é excelente, para o Xavier andar em seco e molhado e se divertir ainda mais”.
Photos: Vasco Lázaro
