Xavier Lázaro raced in Italy this weekend, adding another stage to his extensive international karting calendar in 2023. The driver from Várzea de Sintra participated in the WSK Super Cup by Mini, held at the International Circuit La Conca, in Muro Leccese.
Competing in the Mini Sub-10 class, which, along with the Mini, was the only category to race in this event, at the wheel of the official DR kart, Xavier Lázaro had a positive weekend, essentially achieving the goal of reaching the Final and securing a place in the first half of the grid.
After consistently being among the fastest in various free practice sessions, the young Portuguese driver recorded the 15th overall time during Qualifying, being the eighth fastest in his group, with a lap time of 52.511s, just two-tenths off the pole position.
In the three heats, Xavier Lázaro finished 11th, 13th, and 10th, securing the 21st position for the Pre-Final, from which he started 11th to cross the checkered flag in the closing top 10.
In the Final, the Portuguese driver had his best performance, starting well and quickly gaining positions. However, during the last lap of the race, while attempting to overtake an opponent, that driver braked right in front of him, and Xavier Lázaro couldn't avoid pushing him, leading to an incident involving several drivers. The Portuguese driver stayed in the race, finishing in 13th place, but a post-race penalty of 5 seconds, due to his involvement in the incident, dropped him one position (14th).
Moment of Distraction Conditions Qualifying
Since the first free practice sessions for the WSK Super Cup by Mini, Xavier Lázaro consistently ranked among the fastest in the Mini Sub-10 class, suggesting a promising performance for the Portuguese driver during Qualifying. However, in what would be his best lap of the timed session, the representative of DR in the category made the mistake of overtaking the driver who was ahead of him on the track, ultimately affecting his result. Due to this 'small' distraction, Xavier Lázaro secured the eighth time in the series, the most competitive of the two that ran the Qualifying. Overall, he ended up with the 15th best time among the 38 participants in the Mini Sub-10 class.
Running Without Risks in the Heats For a Good Final
Aware that he would start the three heats consistently in the middle of the pack, on a very technical track like the International Circuit La Conca, the young nine-year-old was mainly concerned with completing the races without setbacks. This way, he aimed to secure himself in the best positions for the Pre-Final.
Although not always making the best decisions in the races, Xavier Lázaro managed to navigate unscathed through the three heats he contested. His best performance came in the final race, securing a 10th-place finish, while in the other two, he placed 11th and 13th. With these results, he secured the 21st position in the overall race tally, earning him a starting position on the 6th row in the Pré-Final A, in 11th place.
Xavier Lázaro had a good performance in the Pre-Final. Being competitive on the track in a well-fought race, the Portuguese driver gained one position to finish in 10th place. Although the classification was not ideal, as the best he could achieve for the Final was the 20th position, meaning starting from the 10th row, amidst the 'confusion'.
In the Final, the Portuguese driver did what was expected of him at the beginning, starting very well and immediately gaining positions. As always in the highly competitive Sub-10 category, there are many position changes throughout the race. In a heated moment of the race, almost entering the top 10 during the last lap, Xavier Lázaro was trying to overtake an opponent who, in an attempt to defend, braked in front of him. The Portuguese driver tried to react but ended up colliding with his opponent, causing a chain reaction, fortunately without physical consequences for those involved. Xavier Lázaro stayed in the race and continued his good performance until the end, finishing in an excellent 13th place. However, after analysis by the WSK Sporting Stewards, Xavier Lázaro was deemed responsible for the incident he was involved in, receiving a 5-second penalty, which dropped him to the 14th position.
"Xavier tried to avoid the opponent who braked in front of him while defending against an overtaking attempt, but in the footage, it appeared that Xavier pushed him off, leading to the penalty", commented disappointed his father, Vasco Lázaro.
"It was all very fast in that moment, and I only tried to avoid it when my opponent braked in front of me, but I respect the decision of the Stewards", said Xavier Lázaro, sad but resigned. "The most important thing is that nobody got hurt.".
Following now are a few days of rest before Xavier Lázaro returns to competition next weekend, once again in La Conca. This time, it will be for the second round of the ACI Italian Karting Championship.
Photos: Sportinphoto Kart Photo-Agency
