Danny Kent faces ninth race of the year after taking best performance to date at Assen. Avant Tecno Husqvarna Ajo does not recover in time for Sachsenring round and will be replaced by Gabriel Rodrigo.

Despite trying until the last moment, Niklas Ajo will not be fit in time to contest the ninth round of the Moto3 season this weekend at Germany’s Sachsenring circuit, after undergoing surgery last week to his right ankle. Danny Kent will be at the German GP, where he hopes to consolidate his place in the first group race from Assen. The British Red Bull Husqvarna Ajo rider will share a garage this week with Spanish FIM CEV Repsol rider Gabriel Rodrigo, who replaces the injured Niklas Ajo.

Avant Tecno Husqvarna Ajo rider Niklas Ajo will have to wait until the Indianapolis Grand Prix to get back on his bike. With his right ankle recently operated on after a heavy crash at Assen, the Finn misses the race and is substituted by Gabriel Rodrigo. The Spanish rider will be entering his third Grand Prix race.

Meanwhile, Danny Kent wants to reaffirm his feeling from the last race. Despite being a rather different circuit to Assen, the Briton hopes to continue in the same way as the last Grand Prix, where he fought for fourth place right until the finish line. The best memory for the Red Bull Husqvarna Ajo rider at this track is his front row qualifying performance in 2012 -his first year in Moto3.

The schedule for the German Grand Prix will be the traditional European one, with the first practice on Friday and the race at 11:00am on Sunday. This GP will mark the halfway point of the season and the last round before a three-week summer break.

Circuit information – Sachsenring
Length: 3.671 m / 2.281 miles
Width: 12 metres
Left corners: 10
Right corners: 3
Longest straight: 700 m / 0.435 miles
Constructed: 1996
Modified: 2003

Danny Kent

“The Sachsenring is very different to all the other track at which we have competed so far. There are many corners and not too many straights between them. It’s a track that will require a lot physically, but I really like it and hopefully will get a good result. In 2012 I got a second place in qualifying, but I could not finish the race because the weather conditions were very unfavourable. It is a track that I like, so we have to go there, work hard and improve on the weekend in the Netherlands. At Assen I had my best performance of the year, but it’s not enough. The Sachsenring is not the circuit that best suits my riding style, but it’s also not the worst for me as there are some fast corners. I have to adapt to circuit, because it is different to most that we have faced this season.”

Niklas Ajo

“The Sachsenring is very different to all the other track at which we have competed so far. There are many corners and not too many straights between them. It’s a track that will require a lot physically, but I really like it and hopefully will get a good result. In 2012 I got a second place in qualifying, but I could not finish the race because the weather conditions were very unfavourable. It is a track that I like, so we have to go there, work hard and improve on the weekend in the Netherlands. At Assen I had my best performance of the year, but it’s not enough. The Sachsenring is not the circuit that best suits my riding style, but it’s also not the worst for me as there are some fast corners. I have to adapt to circuit, because it is different to most that we have faced this season.”

Gabriel Rodrigo

“I am very happy to be riding at my third Grand Prix and to be able to do on this team; it’s sure to be an unforgettable experience. Finding out this great news was a great motivation, after the disappointment at the most recent round of the FIM CEV. I can’t wait to ride the Husqvarna and show what I can do. Sachsenring is somewhere I have never ridden, but I am spending many hours with videogame to get as prepared as possible. From what I’ve seen, I think it could be pretty good for me because it has very fast sections. The first objective will be to adapt as quickly as possible to the team, the bike and the circuit and later to try to enter the points. I want to thank Ajo Motorsport and all those involved for giving me this opportunity.”