Xavier Lázaro finished today in 13th position in the third round of the WSK Super Master Series, held this weekend at the Leopard Circuit Viterbo, in Italy. In the competition organized by WSK Promotion, the 12-year-old Portuguese driver reached an OKJ (Junior) Final for the first time, proving to anyone who doubted him just how competitive he can be when provided with the right equipment.
After securing his best qualifying result of the year on Friday — finishing fifth in his group and 13th overall — the official DR driver was flawless in the four heats on the road to the Final, placing fourth in two of them, as well as achieving a fifth and a seventh-place finish. Without making mistakes and showing great maturity and composure on track, the driver continued his strong performances today, finishing sixth in Pre-Final A.
In the Final, he started from ninth place and ran virtually the entire race in eighth position. On the last lap, he moved up to seventh, but was shortly after pushed by a rival, dropping several positions. He finished the race in 13th place, but the misfortune on the final lap does not take away from the brilliance of the Portuguese driver’s very positive performance throughout the weekend.
Xavier Lázaro returns to Italy from March 4 to 8 to compete in the fourth round of the WSK Super Master Series at the South Garda Karting.
In Form in Qualifying
No segundo fim-de-semana consecutivo em Viterbo, Xavier Lázaro não pestanejou no momento de garantir uma boa posição no Qualifying. Com tudo a jogar na certa medida para o jovem piloto português, saiu no momento mais adequado para a pista e jogou as cartas mestras na hora do ‘all-in’ para garantir o quinto tempo na sua série e a 13ª posição na geral da OKJ. A volta em 52.755s deixou-o a apenas 0,252s da pole position.
Near-Perfect Performance in the Heats
On his path toward a possible place in the OKJ Final in this third round of the WSK Super Master Series, the young driver from Várzea de Sintra had to compete in four heats, emerging from each with a strong result. With the right approach on track and fully aware that it was crucial not to make mistakes in any of the races, Xavier Lázaro followed a script of total efficiency to the letter. It was vital not to slip up, as out of the 73 drivers competing in OKJ, only the top 36 would secure a place in the decisive race.
Starting from fifth place in the first two races, Xavier Lázaro was always cautious on the opening lap, even if it meant losing a few positions. With error-free performances and several well-timed overtakes, the DR driver managed to assert himself and secure strong results, finishing fourth and seventh respectively, while managing the second race under heavy rain.
Nas duas eliminatórias restantes, no dia de ontem e com bom tempo em Viterbo, Xavier Lázaro repetiu a ‘receita’ do dia anterior, mas com resultados no global ainda melhores. Largando do sexto lugar na Eliminatória 3, terminou um bom desempenho em quarto. Na Eliminatória 4, de novo a largar em sexto, ficou um pouco preso na confusão das curvas um e dois, mas depois encetou uma grande corrida, sendo protagonista em pista pela positiva e concluindo num quinto lugar que lhe soube a pouco.
Solid in the Pre-Final
For Pre-Final A, Xavier Lázaro started from fifth place, choosing to fit only two new tires. This put him at a disadvantage compared to some of the drivers ahead who had fitted four new tires. Getting off the line well but remaining conservative, Xavier Lázaro dropped to sixth and stayed composed on track, making no mistakes. Midway through the race, he briefly fell to seventh but quickly recovered sixth place, holding it until the checkered flag.
13th Place in the Final Feels Like Too Little
With four new tires, Xavier Lázaro started from ninth place in the Final — the first he has managed to reach this year in OKJ. Showing that with competitive equipment he can fight at the front, the Portuguese driver performed at the same level he had demonstrated throughout the weekend: strong, competitive, and intelligent in race craft. He remained in the leading pack and spent most of the 15-lap Final running in eighth place. On the penultimate lap, he caught the group battling for fifth and overtook Britain’s Will Green (KR/Iame/VEGA). However, shortly afterwards, in the heat of the intense fight, Poland’s Samczyk Remigiusz (Exprit/TM Kart/VEGA) pushed the official KR Motorsport driver, who in turn collided with the Portuguese driver, causing him to drop several positions. He was unable to recover and finished the race in 13th place. Nevertheless, the result of this Final does not overshadow Xavier Lázaro’s very positive performance throughout the weekend, removing any doubts about how strong the Portuguese driver is at every level in the category.
Photos: Sportinphoto Kart Photo-Agency
