Xavier Lázaro competed this weekend in the opening round of the Champions of the Future, held at the renowned International Circuit La Conca in Muro Leccese, Italy, under the organization of RGMMC. The event, which serves as a prelude to the FIA Karting European Championship—taking place on the same circuit one week prior to each round—saw the Portuguese driver deliver a strong on-track performance in the highly competitive OK Junior category. Despite securing a place among the top 36 out of a 93-driver field during Super Heat B, Lázaro was ultimately disqualified at the conclusion of the session, bringing an unexpected end to his participation in the event.
After a difficult start to the event, Xavier Lázaro fell short of expectations in Qualifying, finishing 79th under unstable weather conditions. The first of four Qualifying Heats also proved challenging for the young Portuguese driver, as he could do no better than 24th place. However, Lázaro responded strongly in the remaining heats, delivering a series of solid performances. Starting from 27th on the grid each time, the DR official driver secured finishes of ninth, 12th, 14th and 16th, highlighting his determination and race pace.
Today, the young driver from Várzea de Sintra started the Super Heat (Pre-Final) from 22nd position, aware that a top-10 finish would secure him a place in the Final. Delivering an outstanding performance—lapping at the pace of the front runners while gaining positions—he crossed the finish line in 11th place. However, following penalties applied to two drivers ahead for front fairing infringements, he was promoted to ninth. Despite this, a post-race inspection in Parc Fermé led to his disqualification. According to measurements carried out by an RGMMC scrutineer, the engine exhaust port height was allegedly three tenths of a millimetre above the regulatory limit. Notably, the measurement was taken using a caliper rather than the CIK-FIA homologated gauge required for this procedure. DR subsequently repeated the measurement using the official CIK-FIA gauge and confirmed that the component was within the legal limits. However, the team chose not to appeal the decision, as even in the event of a successful outcome, the driver would no longer have been eligible to compete in the Final.
Xavier Lázaro will be back in action next weekend at the International Circuit La Conca, where he will contest the opening round of the FIA Karting European Championship in the OK Junior category.
Strong Overall Performance Merited a Spot in the Final
Xavier Lázaro endured a difficult start to the opening round of the Champions of the Future, an event organised by RGMMC and held on the same circuit as each round of the FIA European Karting Championship in the preceding week. At La Conca, located on the outskirts of the Italian town of Muro Leccese, unstable weather conditions turned the opening day into a true lottery. In such circumstances, it proved challenging for teams to find the optimal setup for both Qualifying and the Qualifying Heats, and DR clearly struggled. As a result, Lázaro’s weekend was heavily compromised, as he could manage no better than 79th in the timed Qualifying session, forcing him to start from 27th position in all of the Qualifying Heats.
While in the first of five Qualifying Heats, held in wet conditions, he could only gain three positions to finish 24th, the Portuguese driver once again demonstrated in the remaining races why he is considered one of the strongest contenders in the category. His best result came in the second Qualifying Heat, where he secured an impressive ninth place after recovering 15 positions in just 10 laps. In the remaining heats, he continued to deliver solid performances, finishing 12th, 14th and 16th respectively.
With these results, Xavier Lázaro started 22nd in Super Heat B. Aware that a top-10 finish would secure him a place in the Final, the 12-year-old delivered a determined and highly effective drive. On track, he crossed the line in 11th position, but following penalties applied to two drivers ahead for front fairing infringements, he was promoted to ninth—enough to secure his place in the Final.
A Questionable Disqualification
After completing the Super Heat on track—having been one of the drivers to gain the most positions over the 12 laps—Xavier Lázaro’s kart was inspected by the RGMMC Technical Scrutineers. During this process, an irregularity was identified concerning the height of the engine exhaust port on the Portuguese driver’s DR kart. According to the scrutineer, a measurement taken with a caliper indicated that the exhaust port height was three tenths of a millimetre above the limit permitted by the regulations. As a result, Lázaro was disqualified from the event and excluded from the Final. It is difficult to understand why, in a procedure intended to assess the legality of the equipment, the organisation did not use the CIK-FIA homologated gauge specifically designated for this purpose. Even in the event of a successful appeal, the driver would not have been eligible to compete in the Final, and for that reason DR chose not to proceed. Nevertheless, in response to Xavier Lázaro’s understandable frustration with the outcome, the team carried out its own measurement in the presence of the driver and his parents, using the official CIK-FIA homologated gauge. This verification confirmed that the component was comfortably within the legal limits.
The Portuguese driver will return to action next weekend, once again at La Conca, for the opening round of the FIA Karting European Championship.
Photos: Sportinphoto Kart Photo-Agency
