Xavier Lázaro finished in fifth place in the fourth and final stage of the season in the WSK Super Master Series, held at the Circuito Internazionale Napoli, on the outskirts of the Italian city of Naples. In what was his third competition weekend with SM Racing, the Portuguese driver showed that he is increasingly adapting to the working methods of the British team, led by Oliver Oakes, as well as to the Gillard with TM engine.
Starting the Mini Sub 10 Final in the 15th position on a conclusive day of races that began in the rain, the youngster from Várzea de Sintra was one of the many drivers who raced with wet tires on a track that, in many areas, was already suitable for slick tires. Nonetheless, Xavier Lázaro performed very well in the decisive race, reaching the third position during the second lap. After being overtaken by one of the three drivers who chose to race with slick tires, securing podium positions, Lázaro managed the race effectively, finishing in the fifth position overall. The Portuguese driver's strong performance rewards an efficient stance in a race that brought him his best result of the season so far.
In an overall assessment of everything that happened in this race, a decidedly positive outcome for the performance of the 10-year-old youngster, who is becoming increasingly strong on the track. Xavier Lázaro led in all the heats he contested, including the Pre-Final. Despite being a victim of an opponent in one of the heats, which ultimately affected his starting position for the Final, his talent shone through in the decisive race, even placing him in a podium position. With much room for improvement, Xavier Lázaro is growing as a driver with each stage, providing good indicators for a racing year that promises to be rich and intense.
Increasingly Strong in Various Moments
Xavier Lázaro's work pace has become much more intense since joining SM Racing. In addition to a busy race schedule, the Portuguese driver now also has more testing and training sessions between races. In this regard, along with his teammate Stepan Mazepin, he intensely prepared for the fourth stage of the WSK Super Master Series, an event organized by WSK Promotion.
After the qualification session wasn't the best moment for Xavier Lázaro over the weekend, securing the 14th absolute time, while his teammate took the pole position, the Portuguese driver's best performances were evident in the three Heats contested. On Thursday, Xavier Lázaro finished the first Heat in second place after starting eighth. The SM Racing driver even led the race, only surpassed by the American Lucas Palacio. Lázaro also set the fastest lap, being the only one in the race to lap in the 1m02.894 range.
In Heat 2, the Portuguese driver faced his most challenging moment of the weekend. Once again, Xavier Lázaro had a strong start, showing improvement in the early stages of the race, which had been a weakness until recently. Starting from seventh, the 10-year-old quickly climbed through the pack to take the lead. However, two laps from the end, Xavier Lázaro began to feel the pressure from Niccolo’ Perico, the category leader, and was shortly after hit by him. The kart of the Italian driver flew over the Portuguese driver, who was also struck on the helmet by one of the front tires. Both ended up off the track, though without any physical consequences.
In the final Heat, another excellent start for Xavier Lázaro (7th), who was leading at the end of the first lap. Seeking to secure a position in the first half of the grid for the Pre-Final without any setbacks, the Portuguese driver completed a relatively calm race, finishing in third place.
From Heaven to Hell in the Pre-Final
With the accumulation of points from the Heats, conditioned by misfortune in one of them, Xavier Lázaro raced in Pre-Final A, starting from seventh place. With a flawless start in the rain, the Portuguese driver quickly reached second place, trailing the leader, Lucas Palacio (KR/Iame/VEGA). However, by the second lap, he was in the lead. Midway through the race, Xavier Lázaro conceded the lead to Niccolo’ Perico, highlighting a moment in the race where he still needs to improve. The Portuguese driver still needs to manage those instances better where, in a race he is dominating, he sees the scenario change in front of him, requiring quick adaptation. In a moment of lapse in concentration, Xavier Lázaro lost control of the Gillard, spun, lost several positions, dropping to eighth. However, he turned his weaknesses into strengths, rejoining the fight and managing to finish the race in the top five.
Irreproachable in the Final
The final race of the weekend in the Mini Sub 10 forced all teams to make a difficult decision. On a track that experienced significant rain in the early morning but gradually dried with the presence of the sun, there were areas on the asphalt of the Circuito Internazionale Napoli that were still wet. In other sections, the track was dry, but dark clouds suggested the possibility of rain again. Only three karts on the entire grid raced with slick tires, anticipating a potential return of rain. As it didn't rain, those karts secured the top three positions. Xavier Lázaro, like his teammate, started with rain tires. The Portuguese driver, coming from the 15th position, had a strong start, quickly reaching third place. On a very slippery track, Lázaro was overtaken by the drivers on slick tires and moved up and down the standings during the race. Managing the pressure better in the Final compared to the Pre-Final, the Portuguese driver was efficient and finished in sixth place, pressuring Achille Rea (Tonykart/Vortex/VEGA). However, the Italian driver was penalized five seconds for contact with an opponent, elevating Xavier Lázaro to the top five.
The next week will be a period of rest before the Portuguese driver returns to Italy to participate in the traditional Trofeo Andrea Margutti.
Photos: Sportinphoto Kart Photo-Agency
