Former MotoGP rider James Toseland, who helped Kent sort out a training regime and handed down his ’52’ number, says: “There will have been plenty of young talented British riders who will have had to give up on the dream over the last 10 years and it will get worse.
“If you want to travel business class and stay in nice hotels like MotoGP riders do, you can easily spend £50k a year.
“Add in a motorhome, fuel, insurance and a driver. If you do it properly, not scrimping, you won’t get much change out of £100k.
“So if you are offered no wages, you have to find personal sponsorship to cover all that before you start, and then hope that you do well enough to earn a better deal in year two.
“You can start racing at five or six years old, dedicate your life to it and get to the level of being a Moto3 world champion at 18, 19 years old and by 21 you could have nothing to show for it.
“Talent should be looked after much better. The level of investment for parents to get their son or daughter to the top level, you can easily put a hole in half a million quid.
