Xavier Lázaro made history for Portuguese karting once again, securing another podium in the Mini Sub 10 class in a WSK Promotion competition. At the Italian track of Franciacorta, in the final stage of the WSK Final Cup, the 10-year-old secured the third position in the decisive race of the Mini Sub 10, starting from the 11th place. To this magnificent result, the driver from Várzea de Sintra added the fastest lap of the race and a new record for the Mini Sub 10, with a time of 53.975 seconds. The Portuguese driver, behind the wheel of the official DR kart, was the only one in the class to complete a lap in under 54 seconds.
In this last round of the WSK Final Cup, Xavier Lázaro was impeccable throughout the weekend, starting to show what he was capable of when he secured the fifth best absolute time in Qualifying, among the 64 drivers present in Mini Sub 10 (3rd fastest of his group).
In the three heats he contested, Xavier Lázaro led in all of them. Unfortunately, he was once again hindered by an unjust penalty for an alleged malicious touch on an opponent in the first heat. The second place he earned on the track was taken away with the imposition of a 10-second penalty, pushing him to the 22nd position. Showing his physical and psychological strength, Xavier Lázaro did not let himself be discouraged and secured the third position in Heat 2. Winning Heat 3, the first for a Portuguese driver in the Mini class (Sub 10), was one of the highlights of his performance this weekend.
Today, Xavier Lázaro started the Pre-Final A from the sixth position. He had a remarkable race, leaving a lasting impression on many with an overtaking move on the outside of an opponent, temporarily taking the first position two laps from the end. On the last lap, while in third place, he was involved in an accident that forced him to finish the race in the 8th position.
The DR driver secured a spot in the Final, starting from the 11th position. With a remarkable race, being the fastest on the track, Xavier Lázaro once again took the lead but eventually managed the possibility of securing a podium, finishing in a notable third place.
Very Fast Since Qualifying
Since the first outings on the track in preparation for the final stage of the WSK Final Cup, it was evident how comfortable and competitive Xavier Lázaro was behind the wheel of the Mini Sub 10 DR. During Qualifying, the driver from Várzea de Sintra secured the third-best time in his series, with a lap of 54.129 seconds, just 0.79s off the best time set by Mark Loomets (Energy Corse). In absolute terms, Xavier Lázaro held the fifth-best time.
He Led in All Heats
Clearly, at this stage of the season, there is a significant improvement in Xavier Lázaro's performance, especially in races. Very comfortable at the Franciacorta Karting Track, the Portuguese driver was in contention for victory in all three heats he contested. In the first one, he finished the race in second place but was later penalized by the organization, dropping to 22nd. Everything happened when the DR driver was in a battle with two other competitors ahead of him. The two touched, and Xavier Lázaro coming from behind couldn't avoid contact, causing one of the involved drivers to flip, fortunately without physical consequences. The organization believed that Xavier Lázaro was at fault in the incident, penalizing the Portuguese driver by 10 seconds, five for each of his competitors in that moment. It is unclear why five seconds are attributed for each contact made by the Portuguese driver (a racing incident), while other drivers for similar or even more severe situations were penalized only three seconds.
Although this situation could have affected the on-track performance of the DR driver in the remaining heats, the truth is that Xavier Lázaro took it upon himself to show that his mindset was properly focused on the ultimate goal. In Heat 2, he once again took the lead, finishing in third place with the second-best lap of the race.
The best version of Xavier Lázaro emerged right after when he achieved the first-ever victory for a Portuguese driver in a heat of the Mini class (in this case, Sub 10) in a WSK Promotion competition. It was in this manner and with this attitude that Xavier Lázaro dispelled any doubts for those who thought that the penalty in Heat 1 would hinder his fight for top positions.
Asserting his character in the Pre-Final
With the sum of the results from the heats, Xavier Lázaro started the Pre-Final A from the sixth position. Despite starting from the outside, which is not favorable in Franciacorta, Xavier Lázaro quickly placed himself in the third position. In a race unsuitable for the faint of heart, with a frenetic pace involving more than a handful of drivers fighting for the first position, Xavier Lázaro executed an epic overtaking move that temporarily put him in the first position two laps from the end. However, the intense pace of Daniel Miron Llorente (KR) and Mark Loomets prevailed over Xavier Lázaro, who entered the last lap in third place, witnessing the moment when the Spaniard deliberately tried to force the Estonian off the track. In the last corner, Miron and Loomets touched again. Behind them was Xavier Lázaro, who was hit by one of the Energy Corse drivers (Niccolo’ Perico) following closely behind the Portuguese. With an obvious loss of time, Xavier Lázaro finished only in 11th place. However, a careful analysis by the organization of the events during the last lap triggered a series of penalties, including to the winner, Daniel Miron Llorente, who had 'only' three seconds added to his final time, dropping to fifth place. With penalties to opponents, Xavier Lázaro climbed to eighth.
Epic Final
For the Final, Xavier Lázaro started from the 11th position. Starting so far back in a highly competitive race, the Portuguese driver never for a moment gave up on fighting for victory and quickly placed himself inside the top five. The DR youngster impressed with overtakes and a lively pace, materializing the fastest lap of the race (53.975 seconds). He was the only one in the class to clock below the 54-second mark, becoming the first in the Mini category to complete a lap in the second 53 at the Franciacorta track. Entering the last lap, Xavier Lázaro did the same as in every race he competed in this weekend, taking the lead. However, he couldn't hold off the 'reckless' Daniel Miron Llorente and Mark Loomets for long. Perhaps he could have had a say in the fight for victory on the last lap, but he ended up focused on securing the podium amid the strong threat from Mason Robertson (Parolin), who finished the race just 0.047 seconds behind the Portuguese.
Xavier Lázaro ends the season at his best moment of form. Now, we can only wait to see if this performance can be reflected again in January when everything starts anew.
Photos: Sportinphoto Kart Photo-Agency and Vasco Lázaro
