Since first debuting in the World Championship in 2010 at the British GP, Danny Kent has worked tirelessly to achieve what many only dream of: becoming a World Champion. Until 2015, Kent had worked primarily with the acclaimed Ajo squad in the lightweight class, but took a gamble to sign with the newly formed Leopard Racing team in 2015. Throughout testing the pairing looked strong and as one of the most experienced riders in the class all eyes were fixed on Kent.

The Qatar GP was a classic Moto3™ race, a huge group of riders all fighting tooth and claw for victory with positions traded at every corner. The top nine would end the race within a second of each other, Kent ending in third and just 0.142s shy of victory. Kent had shown intent and in Austin would show just how fast he could be.

Round 2 of the 2015 MotoGP™ World Championship saw Kent dominate a Moto3™ race like none had done before in the dry. An incredible 8.5-second lead saw Kent win in Austin, the tight and fierce battles of the lightweight class replaced with a faultless ride from the Brit. The Argentinian GP soon after proved Austin was no fluke, Kent winning by 10.3 seconds and extending his lead in the standings.

Jerez would close the field up once again, Kent beating out the Red Bull KTM Ajo duo of Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder for the win as the trio avoided last corner drama. Moto3™ rookie Fabio Quartararo left his braking too late, narrowly avoiding Kent and the rest of the field as he ran wide after a near highside at the famous last corner in Jerez.

Disaster struck for Kent in Le Mans, Qualifying saw riders get just two dry laps before the rain fell. Eager to avoid other riders benefitting from his slipstream, as had become a common occurrence, Kent waited to leave the pits but was unable to set a competitive time and the Brit started down in 31st. What followed was truly the ride of a champion, cutting through the field to fourth, his first time off the podium in 2015.

Round 6 in Mugello was another typically close Moto3™ affair, Oliveira out racing Kent to win by just 0.071 seconds. By this stage of the season the Portuguese KTM rider appeared as Kent’s main title rival, but Kent’s advantage was clear. It was back to winning ways for Kent in Barcelona, holding off hard charging Italian Enea Bastianini.

The rest of the Moto3™ field had caught up with Kent’s early season form, battles were close again and Assen was again tight, Kent finishing third with Oliveira first, the championship gap closing slightly. This was followed by a tough weekend in Germany, several crashes limited Kent’s track time but the Leopard Racing rider still secured pole and victory as Oliveira crashed, breaking his wrist ahead of the summer break.

Two tough rounds followed for Kent, Indianapolis saw almost every Moto3™ rider pit to change tyres but Kent’s team struggled and he ended down in 21st as Enea Bastianini claimed sixth and began to rapidly reduce Kent's lead. A red-flagged Czech GP would again see Kent’s lead eaten into, with no new tyres the Brit finished seventh as Bastianini battled to second and confirmed himself as a title contender.

After two difficult races, Kent lusted for success at the British GP and pushed to his maximum despite the abhorrent conditions, rewarding the British fans who braved the rain with a dominating 8.5-second victory. Unfortunately for Kent, the home crowd would boost Bastianini in Misano, the Italian claiming his first win as Kent suffered a penalty for exceeding track limits and ended a distant sixth.

Aragon was a disaster for Kent and Bastianini, both crashing on the last lap and failing to score. Kent headed to Motegi with a mathematical chance of taking the title. Miguel Oliveira, Romano Fenati and Enea Bastianini were all in with a mathematical chance, but a a reduced race in the wet forced Kent to play it safe and wait till the Australian GP. Kent crashed out of the race as Bastianini also fell, Oliveira becoming his only title rival as they went to Sepang. Crossing the line in seventh in Malaysia as Olveiria again won, Kent was forced to wait till Valencia. The Brit needed just two points to secure the tile in the last round, with a ninth place finish Kent was crowned the 2015 Moto3™ World Championship.

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As with many young British riders, Danny Kent made his start racing minimoto in the UK before progressing through the Aprilia Superteen Championship. The Superteen Championship has seen many riders, including Casey Stoner, Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith cut their teeth. Having achieved great domestic success Kent begun to race in the Spanish 125GP Championship where he finished ninth overall in 2008.

The Red Bull Rookies Cup was a springboard for Danny Kent’s career; in 2010 the young talent from Chippenham impressed many by winning the first and the last race of the season. The ten-race season was filled with five other podiums and an overall strong season earned him second place in the championship, just six points shy of the winner.

His performance did not go unnoticed and in the same year he received his first call for the World Championship. In his home Grand Prix at Silverstone he made his first appearance as a wildcard mounted on a Honda RS125R, but was unfortunately forced to retire. In the closing five rounds of the season the Brit was called up by the Lambretta Reparto Corse team to replace Isaac Viñales, achieving a best finish of 21st.

In 2011, his fulltime World Championship adventure begun with the Red Bull Ajo Motorsport team mounted on an Aprilia RSA 125. Jonas Folger was Kent’s teammate for the year; the German riding the factory Aprilia but despite the difference in machinery Kent was able to achieve similar and competitive results. His best result of the year was fourth in the Spanish GP and Kent would finish his debut season in 11th overall.

The following year saw the lightweight category change rules, the two stroke 125cc engines replaced with single cylinder four-stroke ones and the Moto3™ class was born. Kent remained with the Ajo squad and adapted well to the change of machinery, his first podium coming in a dramatic Dutch TT, but the highlight of the year came in Motegi when Kent took the first win of his career. A win in Valencia at the last race of year allowed Kent to cement fourth in the championship with 154 points.

These promising results led him to jump to the Moto2™ category in 2013, joining the Tech3 squad. However, the move proved difficult and Kent struggled to make himself and the Mistral 610 competitive and returned to the Moto3™ World Championship and the Ajo team, this time mounted on the Husqvarna.

On his return to the lightweight class Kent took pole at the Japanese GP, having secured podium finishes in Brno and Aragon before. Again Kent would end the year in the top ten of the world standings. For 2015 he undertook the challenge of racing with the newly formed Leopard Racing Team on the Honda Moto3™ machine, this move produced excellence. In the first half of the season Kent took five wins, often dominating races by huge margins and breaking multiple records.

Kent’s fortune faded somewhat after the summer break, unique race conditions in Indianapolis and a restarted race in Brno allowed many of the Brit’s rivals to reduce Kent’s significant points lead. Enea Bastianini emerged as the main candidate to challenge Kent’s claim to the 2015 crown, taking victory at home in Misano. But disaster struck for the pair in Aragon as they both fell on the final lap, leaving the points difference at 55. Kent arrived in Motegi with his first chance of taking the title but wild weather conditions forced the Brit to play it safe. Disaster struck in Phillip Island as Kent crashed out with Oliveira taking victory, Sepang was an equally difficult round. With a ninth place finish in Valencia Kent became World Champion, Britain's first since Barry Sheene way back in 1977.

At least it was a deserved and well earned Championship Title not like one that could be mentioned.

Well done Danny Kent.

Yes well done Danny, I wonder if we might see him in some Aftershave Adds like Bazza was when he won !!