Xavier Lázaro contested the first of three rounds of the WSK Final Cup this weekend, the competition that brings WSK Promotion's 2026 calendar to a close. At Franciacorta Karting Track in Italy, the 13-year-old Portuguese driver faced a competitive 53-driver OKJ field in what was his third event with the official Parolin Motorsport team.
Now working with Portuguese mechanic Frederico Duarte, Xavier arrived at the Italian round determined to build on the encouraging signs shown since joining Parolin. The weekend featured several impressive recovery drives, but also a number of incidents that prevented the Várzea de Sintra youngster from converting his pace into a stronger overall result.
Qualifying once again leaves Xavier with work to do
The strategy adopted for Qualifying ultimately proved decisive. Xavier went out early to ensure he had enough time to complete three laps, but encountered less favourable track conditions than the drivers who made their attempts later in the session. A best lap of 48.503 seconds placed him 18th in his group and 35th among the 53 OKJ competitors.
The result once again left the Parolin Motorsport driver facing a demanding task, with Xavier starting from the middle of the field in all three Heats. On a circuit where both grid position and the side of the starting grid can play an important role, he would need to make progress from the opening metres of each race.
Impressive Heat recoveries go unrewarded
In the opening Heat, Xavier started 17th and, also benefiting from the inside line, produced an outstanding opening lap. He had already broken into the top 10 before the end of the first lap and, at the beginning of lap three, was running sixth and challenging for fifth. His recovery ended there when Germany's Carloss Nees made contact and forced him off the track, leaving Xavier with no option but to retire. Nees was subsequently penalised for the incident.
The second Heat again highlighted Xavier's ability to gain positions. Starting 18th, this time from the outside line, he made up more than ten places on the opening lap. His determination to continue moving forward, however, led to an ambitious move around the outside, and he was pushed off the track, losing much of the ground he had gained. Once back in the race, Xavier began another recovery and eventually finished 13th.
In the third Heat, Xavier knew that a strong result was required after the points lost in the previous races. Once again he made an excellent start and quickly worked his way forward from 18th. With six laps remaining, he was already running sixth and challenging for fifth, but an overly ambitious attempt resulted in contact with the driver he was trying to pass. The resulting retirement significantly complicated his chances of reaching the Final, leaving him with a major recovery task in the Pre-Final.
Excellent Pre-Final performance secures a place in the Final
On Sunday morning, Xavier approached the Pre-Final with particular focus. Starting 21st, he adopted a more measured approach on the opening lap before producing his strongest race of the weekend. Over the 16 laps, he steadily overtook his rivals and climbed through the field to an excellent ninth place, a result that secured his position among the 36 drivers qualifying for the Final.
For the decisive race, Xavier started from just 34th and once again from the outside of the grid, but immediately demonstrated his ability to make progress. A superb opening lap saw him gain 11 positions and move straight into the battle in the midfield. Around halfway through the race, however, he became caught in a large group fighting aggressively for every position and was eventually forced off the track, dropping to the back of the field.
Despite another setback, the young Portuguese driver refused to give up and once again fought his way forward, taking the chequered flag in 22nd position. Contact with Julian Frasnelli during the race subsequently resulted in a penalty, leaving Xavier officially classified 27th.
Although the weekend featured several incidents and some mistakes that prevented a stronger result, Franciacorta once again highlighted Xavier Lázaro's pace and ability to recover through the field. His Pre-Final performance, in particular, also demonstrated the value of a more patient approach in an extremely competitive category, allowing him to turn a difficult situation into a place in the Final.
The Parolin Motorsport driver returns to competition next weekend for the fifth and final round of the Champions Of The Future at Circuito Internazionale Napoli in Sarno, Italy.
Photos: Sportinphoto Kart Photo-Agency
