Danny Kent Quits Moto2 Team After Pulling Out of COTA Race
British racer Danny Kent announced he has split with the Kiefer Racing Moto2 team, citing irreconcilable differences. Kent made the announcement over Twitter shortly after the end of the MotoGP round at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
1/3. Due to irreconcilable differences I’ve decided to part ways with Kiefer Racing and the Moto2 Team.
— Danny Kent (@DannyKent52) April 23, 2017
2/3. It’s been a difficult period since joining the team and I don’t feel I’m able to reach my potential so I’ve decided to step away.
— Danny Kent (@DannyKent52) April 23, 2017
3/3. I’m still hungry & determined & believe I can be competitive in Moto2. I wish Kiefer Racing the best for the future.
— Danny Kent (@DannyKent52) April 23, 2017
Kent was supposed to be in the Moto2 race, qualifying 24th overall but withdrew after the warm-up, telling his team he was hurt. Team Manager Stefan Kiefer’s comments after the race suggest he knew something was up.
“Regarding Danny, he told us after the warm-up that he does not want to participate in the race, because he is physically unable to do so, which is obviously difficult to understand from the team’s point of view,” said Kiefer in the post-race press release.
Kent won the 2015 Moto3 title with the Leopard-sponsored Kiefer Racing team and moved up to Moto2 with the team last year. The move didn’t work out, as Kent finished 22nd overall with just three top-1o finishes. This year, the team switched chassis manufacturers from Kalex to Suter but Kent did not see much improvement. He finished 13th in the season opener in Qatar and crashed out the following round in Argentina.
Kiefer is left with one rider, Dominique Aegerter, who currently sits 10th in the Moto2 championship after a fifth-place finish at COTA.
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