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MotoGP Valencia: Danny Kent finally crowned Moto3 World Champion

Leopard Honda’s Danny Kent has become the first British Grand Prix World Champion since Barry Sheene in 1977 when he lifted the Moto3 crown at Valencia this morning.

Kent did exactly what he had to do in the final race of the year, cruising to a ninth place finish with team-mate Hiroki Ono riding shotgun after the Japanese had to be told by his crew to back off with five laps to go. However, Ono still passed Kent with two to go and then waved him back through on the final lap. Ono then passed Kent again halfway through the last lap but kept it safe and Kent followed him home.

Title challenger Miguel Oliveira fought for the win he desperately needed to give himself a chance of the title and took the chequered flag from Jorge Navarro and Jakub Kornfeil when Nico Antonelli wiped out Romano Fenati and Efren Vasquez into the final corner but it wasn’t enough as Kent ended with a six-point advantage.

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”It is an amazing feeling after a long, hard season. We had six wins, and we have done what we set out to achieve at the start, the title, and that is the job done,” said Kent in parc ferme.

“The emotions are high – for the last four races we had a chance of the title, at times it was a little bit disheartening, we had to put on a brave faces as we came so close but we have been able to do it.

“It is all down to a lot of hard work, having a great team behind me – to do it, you need some good luck, great team, and great support behind you as you are taking on the world’s best.

“This is the dream come true and it is thanks to everyone who has supported me.”

It was Navarro’s fourth podium in the last five races, as the Spaniard took seventh in the standings at the expense of the unlucky Vazquez. Kornfeil returned to the podium for only the second time in his career, after his second placed finish at Silverstone earlier in the year.

Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Brad Binder crossed the line in fourth after starting from ninth and working his way through the pack during the race, ahead of Enea Bastianini on the Gresini Racing Team Moto3 Honda in fifth.

RBA Racing Team’s Isaac Viñales recorded his 11th top ten finish of the season in sixth, in front of pole man John McPhee who faded during the race to finish in seventh.

Kent’s teammate Ono beat him to the line to secure eighth, with Kent ninth and Phillip Oettl (Schedl GP Racing) completing the top ten.

Karel Hanika (Red Bull KTM Ajo) crashed out on lap 11 at the Mick Doohan corner and was taken to the Medical Centre for checks after feeling dizzy. There were also DNFs for Alessandro Tonucci, Juanfran Guevara, Tatsuki Suzuki and Remy Gardner while Fabio Quartararo was forced to retire on his return from injury.

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