Xavier Lázaro finished today in third place in the Mini Sub 10 Final at the final stage of the WSK Open Series. With this result, achieved at the International Circuit La Conca in Muro Leccese, Italy, the 10-year-old driver secured third place overall in the competition organized by WSK Promotion. The young racer from Várzea de Sintra once again makes history for Portuguese karting, being the first to secure a podium position in the Mini category of a competition organized by the Italian promoter.
After finishing eighth and ninth twice in the Mini Sub 10 qualifying heats, this morning Xavier Lázaro (OTK/TM Kart/VEGA) started from fifth to finish the Pre-Final in 3rd place. In the Final, in the early afternoon, the SM Racing youngster had a good start from 4th position, assuming second place still on the opening lap. After a small mistake at the beginning of lap two, the Portuguese driver dropped to sixth, initiating a very mature recovery. While running fifth, on the last of the 10 laps of the race, Xavier Lázaro avoided being involved in the contact between David Moscardi (Birel ART/Iame/VEGA) and Niccolo’ Perico (Energy Corse/TM Kart/VEGA), who were battling for the final podium spot. After overtaking both opponents, the Portuguese driver managed a margin of six tenths of a second, securing the final podium position in the race. In the final standings of the WSK Open Series, Xavier Lázaro finished third in the category, behind winner Niccolo’ Perico and Achile Rea, who won today's Mini Sub 10 Final.
"I am very happy with this result", Xavier Lázaro said. "I want to dedicate my podium to my usual mechanic, Colin McNair, who couldn't be present at the race today. I also want to thank my team manager, Stephen McNeill, who was my mechanic today, as well as the entire SM Racing team for the excellent work they have been doing with me.".
Running to Make Up for Lost Ground
Frankly motivated for this final stage of the WSK Open Series, Xavier Lázaro consistently featured among the top three fastest in the Mini Sub 10 category in all free practice sessions. However, with the arrival of rain on Thursday morning, the calculations for the Qualifying session got mixed up. The Portuguese driver ended up not achieving better than the 12th time in the session. Although Xavier Lázaro secured the 10th position in the Mini Sub 10 category on the stopwatch, he fell victim to a driver in front of him who braked hard after crossing the finish line, causing the Portuguese driver to make contact and damage the front of the OTK, resulting in a two-place penalty.
Xavier Lázaro started the three Qualifying Heats from 12th position, being on the worst side of the track, which resulted in him losing some positions at the starts. However, the SM Racing driver always managed to recover and gain positions, finishing the first two Heats in 8th place, in one of them even reaching the 5th position. In the final Qualifying Heat, he finished in 9th place.
"Today Was a Very Good Day"
With the combined results from the three Qualifying Heats, Xavier Lázaro secured himself in 5th position to compete in the Pre-Final of the Mini Sub 10 category. Today, the Portuguese driver was motivated in Muro Leccese and immediately showed his intention to be a protagonist in the fight for a podium in the category. With a strong performance in the Pre-Final, Xavier Lázaro secured 3rd position, which meant starting from fourth place for the Final.
In the decisive race, the SM Racing driver had a good start and took 2nd position on the first lap. However, a slight mistake in Turn Two on the second lap caused him to run wide and lose four positions. Nevertheless, Xavier Lázaro remained calm and quickly climbed back to fifth place. He then drove a smart race and pressured the two drivers ahead of him. On the final of the 10 laps of the race, Xavier Lázaro pressured David Moscardi, who ended up making contact with Niccolo’ Perico. Xavier Lázaro kept his cool and overtook both opponents, taking third position. The youngster from Várzea de Sintra managed a six-tenths of a second advantage and secured the final podium spot, behind the winner Achile Rea (Tonykart/Vortex/VEGA) and Antonio Ianni (T Group/TM Kart/VEGA) in 2nd place. With this result, Xavier Lázaro secured 3rd position overall in the WSK Open Series, in the Mini Sub 10 category. In the end, the Portuguese driver was happy. "Today was a good day, I'm very happy with this result", Xavier Lázaro said. "A lot of work went into getting here, and I want to thank all the effort from SM Racing and the dedication with which everyone seeks the best competitive solutions, week after week. Today I couldn't count on my usual mechanic, Colin McNair, who couldn't be present due to health issues with a family member. This podium is for him. Thanks also to my team manager, Stephen McNeill, who was my mechanic today. This podium in this competition is dedicated to the entire SM Racing team. The motivation for the rest of the season is enormous!".
Photos: Sportinphoto Kart Photo-Agency and Vasco Lázaro and Miguel Silva
