Moto3 updates; Kent, Oliveira, Sissis…

With the seasons end fast approaching, riders and teams will be trying frantically to snap up riders they so desperately crave for 2014, and the Moto3 shake up is yet to fully sort itself out.

Danny Kent, Miguel Oliveira and Arther Sissis are three of the big movers, and must all be considered genuine title threats to the settled Estrella Galicia duo of Alex’s Rins and Marquez.

Danny Kent’s move back to the factory Ajo KTM is the biggest move, as the Brit moves back to the Red Bull backed team after a testing year in Moto2 with the Tech3 team. Kent goes back, with “unfinished business” to the Moto3 class, which saw him win two races, and finish fourth in the World Championship last year.

The Ajo team which is loosing Luis Salom and dumping Arther Sissis should announce Kent as Jack Miller and Karel Hanika’s team mate for 2014 within the coming week.

But with Sissis being unceremoniously dumped from the factory KTM team, where does that leave the Australian? Well there had been some rumours that he was being lined up by the Mahindra squad who will loose Vazquez and may even loose Miguel Oliveira. Sissis’ team mate Zulfahmi Khairuddin is also being considered for the one of the Mahindra’s.

Oliveira hopes to leave the Indian brand as he hopes to mount a serious title challenge, and he hopes take the ride of the departing Maverick Viñales, the Kalvo KTM. Viñales will move to the Pons Moto2 team, leaving his Spanish Championship rival his KTM bike for next season. Oliveira has shown the form which saw him consistently being Viñales in the Spanish Championship, and Oliveira see’s the KTM as a better all-round package than the Mahindra.

There is however an issue with Oliveira’s move to the Calvo KTM team. The Portuguese rider signed a contract for 2014 with Mahindra, and Mahindra plan to hold to hold him to the contract he’s signed, and they’ve already fended off Aki Ajo’s advances.

Oliveira is optimistic that the team will release him, and told German media he is, because ‘you can’t hold a rider against his will’ (somebody needs to explain a contract to poor Miguel) however, with Efren Vazquez moving to the Racing Team Germany in place of Jack Miller, the Mahindra team faces the very real proposition of loosing both of their riders.

But with the GP paddock tripping over each other as they spend the next three weeks clocking up the air miles, expecting most of these deals to be announced and rubber stamped by the time the chequered flag drops in Motegi.