Kent finishes off the points in Catalonia
15/06/2014Danny Kent -seventeenth- places outside the points for first time this season.
Fifteen days after achieving his best result to date in the World Championship, Niklas Ajo was back fighting for a place on the podium in Moto3. The Husqvarna rider finished eighth at the Catalan GP after an excellent weekend, both in practice and in the race. He fought for second place until the final lap. Red Bull Ajo Husqvarna rider Danny Kent rounded off the second group, which fought for eleventh, and took a seventeenth place that would not allow him to score points for the first time in 2014.
Danny Kent was unable to score points for the first time this season. The Briton, who gained four places at the start, was up in the second group. After countless overtaking moves, the Red Bull Husqvarna Ajo rider placed just outside the Top 15, in seventeenth.
Niklas Ajo had an amazing race today at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. After holding fifth place off the line, the Avant Tecno Husqvarna Ajo rider found a spot in the first big group. Up to 9 riders were around him during the 22-lap contest, with Alex Marquez ahead of them all after an early escape. Patient in the first half of the race, Ajo attacked with three laps to go and was second into the final lap. A scare at Turn 9, in which he dislocated his left elbow, saw him lose the place and finally cross the finish line in eighth position.
With 35 points, Niklas Ajo lies twelfth in the Moto3 standings, whilst Danny Kent has 27 and is fourteenth. The cathedral of motorcycle racing, Assen (Netherlands) will host the next round on Saturday June 29th.
Results – Race
1. Alex Marquez (Honda) 41:11.656
2. Enea Bastianini (KTM) +3.236
3. Efren Vazquez (Honda) +3.512
4. Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +3.764
5. Romano Fenati (KTM) +3.862
8. Niklas Ajo (Avant Tecno Husqvarna Ajo) +9.781
17. Danny Kent (Red Bull Husqvarna Ajo) +21.011
Moto3 World Championship Standing 2014
1. Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 117 points
2. Romano Fenati (KTM) 110 points
3. Efren Vazquez (Honda) 92 points
4. Alex Rins (Honda) 87 points
5. Alex Marquez (Honda) 85 points
12. Niklas Ajo (Avant Tecno Husqvarna Ajo) 35 points
14. Danny Kent (Red Bull Husqvarna Ajo) 27 points
Danny Kent – Audio (solely for radio use)
“The race did not go too badly. We were in the group fighting for tenth place and I felt confident. But on the last five laps I lost a lot of grip on the rear, suffering a lot even to stay in the group, and I did not manage to score any points. It’s frustrating and I’m a little confused about what is going on, because this year we are working hard on the things that I have to improve and we have not yet succeeded. We have to sit down and think about where we can get better.”
Niklas Ajo – Audio (solely for radio use)
“It was a good race, but I made a mistake on the last lap. I pushed a little too hard and I entered the corner too fast, so the rear wheel slid out. However, the whole weekend was very good, we were able to fight in the front group with ease, without having to ride at the limit until the last lap. I made a rookie mistake on the last lap, because I really wanted to get on the podium, but we have improved a lot. We must be very happy about this and remember that we have to keep working hard. In this category the situation could change at any time, as all riders are improving at every race. We have to maintain this level and work hard.”