Xavier Lázaro secured the 14th position today in the Mini Sub 10 category in the first stage of the WSK Super Master Series, held at the South Garda Karting in Lonato. Driving the official DR kart, the Portuguese driver participated in the final of the category, which took place this morning, but was unable to compete for top positions. Starting from 12th (6th row of the grid), the young driver from Várzea de Sintra had a good start, climbing to 9th place during the first lap. However, as the nine laps of the decisive race unfolded, it became evident that the Portuguese driver was struggling to be competitive with a DR kart that had limited performance. Losing positions and even dropping to 16th, Xavier Lázaro managed to secure a position in the top 14 on the last lap, which is disappointing for the Portuguese driver, who had aimed to contend for victory.
Engine Issues Were a Constant Problem
Since the early free practice sessions for the 1st stage of the WSK Super Master Series, it became evident that Xavier Lázaro was not able to reach the necessary levels of competitiveness to contend for top positions in the Mini Sub 10 category. Throughout the various days of this inaugural round of the second competition of the year in the WSK Promotion calendar, DR changed the engine used by Xavier Lázaro three times, never being satisfied with the on-track performance. However, arriving at the end of the event, the overall assessment cannot be entirely negative, as Xavier Lázaro managed to reach the Final in a category that had 61 participants in Lonato, finishing among the top 14 and earning two points.
Issues Since the Qualifying Session
In a competition where the starting grid for each heat is determined by the positioning in the qualifying session, it is crucial to have the best possible performance during the timed session. In his series, Xavier Lázaro could not achieve better than the 14th time. The driver waited until the last minute of the session to find the ideal moment to complete a good lap, but after overtaking an opponent on the track, the engine failed, and the Portuguese driver was passed by the opponent, resulting in an obvious loss of time on the clock. He ended up approximately eight tenths behind the pole position and with the 27th absolute time.
A Lot of Work In the Heats and Pre-final
Constrained by the performance in the Qualifying, Xavier Lázaro started each of the heats he contested from the 14th position. Although the performance of the DR wasn't impressive, the Portuguese driver managed to be proactive and, above all, efficient, avoiding mistakes on the track and seizing opportunities whenever possible. Consequently, in the first heat, Xavier Lázaro finished in 8th place, surpassing six opponents in the process. In the second heat, the Portuguese driver couldn't replicate the performance but secured 10th place. In the final heat, Lázaro once again finished in 8th place. This way, he secured the 13th position overall, allowing him to start from the 7th position in Pre-Final A.
In the race that determines the presence in the Final and the starting position in it, Xavier Lázaro started strong and even held the fourth position at one point. However, a slight distraction caused him to go off track, dropping two positions. By the checkered flag, the Portuguese driver lost another position, finishing in seventh, where he had started the race.
Final Going Backward
The first lap of the Mini Sub 10 Final suggested the possibility of Xavier Lázaro contending for top positions. The Portuguese driver had a good start and gained three positions in the initial corners, climbing to ninth. However, as the race progressed, the driver lost momentum in the DR, sometimes appearing to be struggling on the track. With a lack of performance and a faltering engine, Xavier Lázaro lost focus and positions, even dropping to 16th at one point. Below the performance level he has shown in recent races, Xavier Lázaro still managed to gain two positions on the last lap, finishing this first stage of the WSK Super Master Series in 14th place in the Mini Sub 10 category.
The 10-year-old will return to the tracks later this week for training in Cremona, already preparing for the second stage of the WSK Super Master Series scheduled for the San Martino del Lago circuit from February 8 to 11.
Photos: Sportinphoto Kart Photo-Agency
