Red Bull Husqvarna Ajo rider crosses the finish line in fourth place after an excellent end to the race. Niklas Ajo retires in the early stages of the Malaysian GP.

Danny Kent and Niklas Ajo had mixed fortunes in the Malaysian Grand Prix. The penultimate race of the 2014 Moto3 World Championship, held at the Sepang International Circuit, allowed the Red Bull Husqvarna Ajo rider to add 13 points to his tally after finishing fourth. The Avant Tecno Husqvarna Ajo rider was forced to retire with a mechanical problem on lap four.

Despite not having the best feeling throughout the weekend, Danny Kent showed that he is at his best form in this final stretch of the season. The Briton quickly caught the front group, but after losing touch with them at the midway point, he had to close the gap again with 7 laps remaining. In the final part of the race, Kent went on the attack and moved up to fourth. The Red Bull Husqvarna Ajo rider remains ninth overall, with 116 points.

Less fortunate was Niklas Ajo, who could not complete the race. The Avant Tecno Husqvarna Ajo rider had a mechanical problem that forced him to enter the pits to retire after four laps. The Finn, with 52 points to his name, is fifteenth overall.

The Moto3 World Championship season closes with the final race in Valencia, which will take place at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in two weeks’ time.

Results – Race
1. Efren Vazquez (Honda) 40:41.002
2. Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +0.213
3. Alex Rins (Honda) +0.385
4. Danny Kent (Red Bull Husqvarna Ajo) +0.803
5. Alex Marquez (Honda) +0.831
DNF – Niklas Ajo (Avant Tecno Husqvarna Ajo)

Moto3 World Championship Standing 2014
1. Alex Marquez (Honda) 262 points
2. Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 251 points
3. Alex Rins (Honda) 226 points
4. Efren Vazquez (Honda) 212 points
5. Romano Fenati (KTM) 174 points
9. Danny Kent (Red Bull Husqvarna Ajo) 116 points
15. Niklas Ajo (Avant Tecno Husqvarna Ajo) 52 points

Danny Kent >> Audio (solely for radio use)

“It’s been a very tough weekend. We worked to get a good feeling on the bike. We can be very happy with how the race went. We have maintained a strong pace and we showed that we can ride with the front group over recent races. Since Aragon we have been fighting to be at the front and I’m very happy with the big step that we have taken in this second part of the season. Once again, the team did a great job all weekend.”

Niklas Ajo >> Audio (solely for radio use)

“We still do not know what the problem we had with the bike was. It started to lose power and the top speed was nothing like what we had before. It was safest to return to the garage, because every lap was different. I’m a little disappointed, because I was catching people under braking and when cornering, but if you don’t have straight line speed you can’t do anything.

We are already focusing on Valencia to try to finish the season well, because it’s one of my favourite tracks. The team did a great job all weekend and, although we had many problems from the start, we could really show our level.”