Canberra region’s young go kart champion will race for an Italian team this year.
Lazarus Añonuevo will compete on the international stage with Gold Kart International and Righetti Ridolfi, as well as the TreDkart Racing Team.
He will compete in Italy in June and July, then again in October and November, all while completing the school year in between.
Lazarus said he was excited to return to Italy to race, “learn from the best”, visit Museum Ferrari Maranello (again), and make new friends.
He trains every day on and off the track.
“I do endurance and agility training and step workouts, I go for walks, I ride my bicycle and use a simulator,” Lazarus said.
Each day the 10-year-old is on the track he drives 150 to 200 laps.
In 2024, Lazarus became a two-time State Champion in the KNSW League (ACT and NSW) and the recipient of the prestigious Australian Karting Championship Most Improved Cadet of the Year Award.
He has amassed more than 50 trophies, accolades and awards since taking up the motorsport.
His father, Al, said at Lazarus’ international debut in Italy in 2024, Lazarus was set for a podium finish.
“He started in second place …. He’s fearless, so these three children were trying to overtake him, and he didn’t yield, so they ended up pushing him off to the side and that’s not good.
“It’s obviously hard to get back on and they got a penalty.”
Al said the upcoming season in Italy was the world series of go karting.
“it’s like the Formula One (F1) of the karting world,” he said.
“The best of the best competes there. Italy is where the heart of racing in Europe is.
“What’s cool is that F1 driver’s children are actually competing in the same class.
“And the people that are current F1 drivers have raced on the tracks that Lazarus is racing on.”
Al said while the family had discussed Lazarus’ future in go karting, they did not expect to be in this position so early.
“We didn’t think we would have this discussion until he was 12 or 13,” he said.
“A lot of people probably don’t take this up until they are maybe 14 or 15.
“But when someone goes, ‘hey look’, we see potential in your son’, we’ll try and work with him and do something.”
Al said it was hard to say no.
“We spent many nights talking about it. I spoke to my friends that I trust or who I would call my brothers and mentors and all of them are saying ‘it’s not a question, you have to give it a go, it would be crazy not to’.”
The family previously lived in Canberra but have moved to Bungendore in New South Wales to a property that accommodates all of Lazarus’ go karting gear.
He has at least six karts – two of which the family will hang up as mementos because they were the first karts and engines Lazarus won his state championships with.
You can follow Lazarus’ racing journey on:
Facebook – search Lazarus 7
Instagram – im.lazarus.a
Via his website – linktr.ee/lazarus.legion
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