Xavier Lázaro will race next weekend in the first round of the ACI Sport Italian Karting Championship, in a new category — OKN-Junior. At just 11 years old, the Portuguese driver is kicking off a new phase of his still young sporting career at the Pista Salentina in Ugento.
After several seasons in the Mini category — where he could still compete throughout this sporting year — Xavier Lázaro decided that this was the right moment to move up to the Junior category, aiming to continue his learning process with a clear goal on the horizon: to compete in the FIA Karting World Cup, which will take place in September at the Cremona Circuit, a track the young Portuguese driver knows well. After finishing second in the Mini category of the WSK Super Master Series — a competition in which he won two of the five rounds and secured a total of four podiums — the winner of the FIA Motorsport Games in Karting Sprint Mini approaches this new stage of his competitive journey with great humility and determination.
“Even though I’m still eligible to compete in the Mini category, I believe this is the right time to move up to OKNJ”, Xavier Lázaro said. “With the same determination as always, I now want to grow and learn as much as possible, so I can be competitive in September at the FIA Karting World Cup”.
Last weekend, Xavier Lázaro was already testing at the Pista Salentina in preparation for his debut in the Italian Championship, also aiming for a quick adaptation to the new challenge. The young driver from Várzea de Sintra showed he was comfortable at the wheel of the OKN-Junior category DR/Modena Engines kart.
“I felt good at the wheel of the DR/Modena on this track with a great tradition in Italy”, Xavier Lázaro said. “Initially, I faced some difficulties, but with the help of the team, we worked on and improved the chassis setup, which allowed for my gradual progress over these two days. At this stage, I just want to improve, and my main goal is to complete as many laps as possible in the upcoming races”.
Photos: Vasco Lázaro
