The young Portuguese driver Xavier Lázaro, 13 years old, from Várzea de Sintra, closed the Champions Of The Future season with his best overall performance of the year, in the fifth and final round of the competition held at the Circuit Internazionale Napoli, in Sarno, Italy. Competing in the OKJ category among 54 drivers from 25 countries for Parolin Motorsport, Xavier achieved the 16th best time in qualifying, with a lap of 59.272 seconds, which allowed him to start among the top eight in all three heats.
Throughout the three heat races, the Portuguese driver confirmed the evolution shown in recent events, finishing in 6th, 7th and 7th places. Xavier stood out for his consistency and maturity in managing races and tires, regularly staying in the front group and even occupying fourth position at various moments during the races.
In Super-Heat B, Xavier Lázaro started from fifth place and, after a more cautious first lap that saw him drop to eighth, he recovered positions with strong competitive pace. The Portuguese finished in 5th place, very close to the group fighting for second position, securing 11th place on the Final starting grid.
In the decisive race, the young driver again had a good start and reached ninth place. However, his progress was ultimately hampered by a phase of intense battling in the pack, marked by several contacts. Involved in some of these battles, Xavier finished with damage and received a 10-second penalty, which dropped him to 19th final place. Despite the final classification, the passage through Sarno confirmed Xavier Lázaro's evolution and growing adaptation to Parolin Motorsport.
