Xavier Lázaro finished in the top five of Mini Gr. 3 today in the first of two rounds of the WSK Final Cup. In Lonato, in the race marking his return to the official DR team, the 11-year-old secured his best result ever in the top Mini category. After impressing the paddock on Friday by taking pole position in the category, Xavier Lázaro placed second in the first of three Heats he competed in, finishing the others in fifth and sixth place, respectively.
Today, the young driver from Várzea de Sintra started from fourth place in the Pre-Final A but dropped several positions on the first lap. With a strong recovery, Lázaro finished in seventh, securing 10th position for the Mini Gr. 3 Final. In the decisive race, the DR driver fell back to 15th at the start but delivered a high-level performance, moving up through the field, ultimately reaching fifth place—his best result in the category to date. Xavier Lázaro also recorded the fastest lap of the race (52.369s).
Pole Position Highlights Strong Momentum for the Portuguese Driver
Depois de recentemente ter feito história ao vencer a categoria Karting Sprint Mini nos FIA Motorsport Games, Xavier Lázaro chegou a Lonato com ‘fome de competição’ para disputar a primeira de duas etapas na WSK Fina Cup. Esta é a derradeira prova do ano no calendário da WSK Promotion e por isso o piloto português ambiciona ‘terminar o ano ‘em beleza’, lutando pela vitória.
After spending most of the year driving a Gillard, Xavier Lázaro returned this weekend to the DR kart from Danilo Rossi’s team and immediately felt competitive. Proof of this was his pole position in the Mini Gr. 3 Qualifying, where he recorded the fastest lap with a time of 52.105 seconds.
Motivated by his strong result, the Portuguese driver focused on performing consistently in the Heats, aiming to secure a top position while avoiding mistakes that could jeopardize his placement for the Pre-Final. In the three races he competed in, Xavier Lázaro was solid, especially in the first race, where he finished in second place. In the remaining Heats, the young DR driver placed fifth and sixth, securing fourth position on the starting grid for Pre-Final A.
In Pre-Final A, Xavier Lázaro started from the outside in fourth position. In Lonato, starting from the outside is never ideal, so it was no surprise that the Portuguese driver dropped several positions on the first lap, falling back to 11th place. Staying focused, 'Xavi' pushed forward and began to regain positions, finishing the 10-lap race in seventh.
For the Final, the task for the Portuguese driver was not easy, as starting from 10th place made the first position seem like a distant mirage. Again starting from the outside, Xavier Lázaro lost five positions in the first lap. However, the Portuguese driver 'gritted his teeth' and set off in search of his best result. In what was his best race of the weekend, he proved that he is a force to be reckoned with in Mini Gr. 3. He finished in fifth place, set the fastest lap of the race, and could have done even better if he had joined the leading group earlier, as he only caught up with them on the last lap.
The result and performance leave no doubt that Xavier Lázaro is heading into the second round of the WSK Final Cup with the potential to fight for victory in Mini Gr. 3.
Back to DR
After almost an entire season with SM Racing, Xavier Lázaro joined the DR team, led by five-time world champion Danilo Rossi, for the remainder of his karting calendar. The Portuguese driver ended his time with the English team early but, when choosing his future base, he decided to return to a team he knows well.
"I want to thank SM Racing for all the time I spent there", began the 11-year-old driver. "My journey outside of Portugal started with DR, and when it was time to take a new direction for my development, it seems to me that this is the best path, with a team I believe in deeply and know very well."
Photos: Sportinphoto Kart Photo-Agency
