Xavier Lázaro secured seventh place today in the OKN-Junior category at the Leopard Circuit Viterbo in Italy, in what was the opening round of the WSK Euro Series, a competition organized by WSK Promotion. In only his second race in the category, the 11-year-old showed increasing confidence at the wheel of the DR/Modena/VEGA, managing to stay within the top 10 for almost the entire weekend.
From the Qualifying session, held on Thursday, it quickly became clear that Xavier Lázaro was becoming increasingly comfortable adapting to a much larger and more powerful kart. The young driver from Várzea de Sintra came close to securing pole position in the timed session, finishing with the seventh-best time — less than a hundredth of a second behind the fastest.
In the three Heats, Lázaro initially ranked seventh among the 35 participants. His best result of the weekend came in Heat 2, where, with a determined drive, Xavier Lázaro climbed from seventh place to finish third. In the final race before the Pre-Final, he placed 10th.
This morning, during the Pre-Final, the Portuguese driver faced some tire-related issues and couldn’t do better than 12th place. For the Final, Lázaro started from ninth and quickly moved up to seventh. He consistently ran close to the leaders and ultimately finished the race in that same position, despite having to defend against a rival all the way to the checkered flag.
Xavier Lázaro’s busy racing schedule continues next weekend with the second round of the ACI Sport Italian Karting Championship, also taking place at the Leopard Circuit Viterbo.
Increasingly Adapted to OKN-Junior
After a solid debut in the category during the opening round of the ACI Sport Italian Karting Championship on the challenging Ugento track, Xavier Lázaro arrived in Viterbo much better prepared to compete in the first event of the season in the WSK Euro Series. Still only 11 years old, it’s clear that Xavier Lázaro doesn’t yet have the physical build of most of his OKN-Junior rivals. But, as the saying goes, “great things come in small packages,” and the young driver from Várzea de Sintra showed in Qualifying that he’s here not only to grow but also to compete. He came out of the session that determines the starting order for the Heats with the seventh-fastest time, missing out on pole by less than a hundredth of a second—a result impacted only by a slight mistake, when he was a bit too aggressive approaching one of the corners at the Leopard Circuit Viterbo and lost time after bouncing over a curb.
Finished One of the Heats in Third Place
Starting from seventh place for the Heats, Xavier Lázaro consistently demonstrated through his performance on track that, at this stage of the season, the priority is to complete as many laps as possible under race conditions. The young driver from Várzea de Sintra was especially effective on the course that ultimately determines the starting grid for the Pre-Final. In Heat 1, the young DR (Danilo Rossi) driver performed solidly, finishing in the same position he started from. He proved to be quite competitive and already among the fastest times, in an OKN-Junior category that is more fiercely contested this year.
In Heat 2, he secured his best result of the weekend with a remarkable third place. Showing aggression on track and a keen ability to seize opportunities, Xavier Lázaro steadily gained positions, achieving his strongest performance so far in the category. On the final lap, he had to defend his position, but he proved his grit and determination on the track—making it clear that, even though this is a learning year, he’s a driver to watch.
For the final Heat, DR made some adjustments to Xavier Lázaro’s kart chassis. As is sometimes the case, attempts to improve performance don’t always produce the desired results, and the Portuguese driver wasn’t able to replicate the pace he had shown up to that point. He ended up finishing slightly below expectations, in 10th place.
You Learn Through Struggles Too
For the Pre-Final, Xavier Lázaro started from eighth place, on the outside line into Turn One at Viterbo — always a disadvantage. On top of that, his team chose to run the race without fitting new tires, which left him at a disadvantage compared to some of his competitors. It’s also worth noting that the young Portuguese driver carries significant ballast in his kart to meet the minimum weight requirements, as at just 11 years old, Xavier is still much smaller and lighter than most of his rivals. With many of his competitors opting for two new tires in the Pre-Final, Xavier had to dig deep and endure the challenge in the 16-lap race (four laps longer than the Heats). Even so, the young DR driver showed resilience on track, defending as much as he could and managing to finish 12th. Given the circumstances, there was simply no way to do better.
Final Performance Shows Very Positive Signs
Starting from ninth place in the Final on fresh tires, Xavier Lázaro quickly moved up to seventh. Consistently among the front runners, he applied pressure on the sixth-place driver, Ukrainian Oleksander Legenkyi (KR/Iame/VEGA), never giving the Team Driver Racing Kart competitor a moment’s rest. At the same time, he also had to defend against Finnish driver Lenni Makinen (Parolin/TM Kart/VEGA). On the final lap, Makinen—racing for LA Motorsport—launched a last-ditch attack, but Xavier Lázaro held his ground brilliantly, showing composure and determination to secure a strong seventh-place finish.
In just his second race in a new category, competing against some of the best drivers in the world, Xavier Lázaro is already proving that—even in his learning year—he's a name to watch at the front of the pack. At this stage in his development, you truly couldn't ask for more.
The competition doesn’t stop—and neither does Xavier Lázaro—as he returns to the Leopard Circuit Viterbo next weekend to race in the second round of the ACI Sport Italian Karting Championship.
Photos: Sportinphoto Kart Photo-Agency
