Kent secures Speed Up seat for 2018
Danny Kent will make a full-time return to the Moto2 World Championship next season after penning a two-year deal with the Speed Up team.
Kent returned to the Moto2 class after a disastrous year with Tech3 in 2013 last season with Kiefer Racing, the team he secured the 2015 Moto3 world championship with.
After a promising start in Qatar where he was sixth, Kent endured a tough year and things failed to improve into the beginning of the 2017 season.
Feeling as if the Kiefer team was not providing him with the machinery capable of allowing him to fight at the sharp end in the intermediate class, Kent split with the squad at the US round in Texas in April.
He has since made two appearances with Ajo Motorsport in Moto3 in France and Germany, while also filling in for the injured Iker Lecuona at Interwetten at the Italian Grand Prix.
“I’m really excited about this new opportunity with Speed Up and I can’t wait to get on the bike,” he said.
“I’d like to thank Luca and all the team for their belief in me, I’m working hard towards the end of season tests and already excited for 2018.
“This weekend I’m replacing Marcel Schrotter, which will be good to get some time back on the Moto2 bike.
“I’d also like to thank Alpinestars and Nolan for their support. 2017 has been tough, but it has made me even more determined for the future.”
Twitter: Nothing the returning @DannyKent52 could have done about this one
Nice to see @alexmarquez73 going to check on h… https://t.co/7XmfSojf9Q (@MotoGP)
Kent had his running in this morning’s weather-affected first practice – in which he was 31st quickest – cut short after a heavy collision with Marc VDS rider Alex Marquez at Turn 1.
Marquez lost the front end of his bike under braking for the first corner, his errant Kalex clattering into Kent ahead of him.
The Briton was taken to the medical centre for checks, and his participation in the rest of today’s action remains unclear at present.