DANNY KENT has been offered a three-year deal to step up to MotoGP – the Formula One of motorcycling – confirming his status as one of the hottest properties in motorsport.

Kent, the 21-year-old from Tetbury, is the runaway leader in this year’s Moto3 series, the third tier of the world championship, and the Pramac Ducati team have made it clear they want him to ride at the top level in 2016 and beyond.

One stumbling block could be his current contract with Leopard-sponsored Kiefer Racing team which is believed to include an option to take Kent up one level to Moto2 in 2016.

An announcement may emerge before Kent’s next race, the British Grand Prix – the 12th race in the 16-race championship series – which takes place on Saturday, August 30 at Silverstone.

One man who counsels Kent to think carefully about the move is his former manager, Roger Burnett, who put together the Kiefer deal which resurrected the youngster’s career after he endured a tough season in Moto2 during 2014.

“It is widely acknowledged that Peter Bom of Kiefer Racing is the best engineer in the MotoGP paddock,” said Burnett, who guided James Toseland and Neil Hodgson to world championship success.

Kent’s seventh placing in the Brno Grand Prix at the weekend after an interrupted 12-lap race, which followed a disappointing result in Indianapolis, has seen Enea Bastianini take 21 points off Kent’s lead in the last two races, though the Tetbury lad still has a healthy 45-point advantage with seven races remaining.

“Danny is head and shoulders above the rest in Moto3 this year and his last two disappointing results are not important,” insisted Burnett.

“Indianapolis was circumstantial due to the weather conditions and in Brno the luck simply did not go his way.

“His success does not surprise me at all. For years only myself and his family believed in Danny and I am proud to think I have played some part in his rise.”

Kent has already hinted that he is interested in making the switch to MotoGP.

“With Michelin coming back next year, I think it will be the best year for a Moto3 rider to think of making the jump,” said Kent recently.

“For next year it’s all new tyres, and the electronics should bring the satellite bikes closer to the factory bikes.”

Confirming his offer of a three-year deal to Kent, Francesco Guidotti, the manager of Pramac Ducati, said he had been impressed with Kent’s maturity in the their contract discussions.

“We had contact with Danny,” Guidotti told the crash,net website. “With a young rider coming from Moto3 it’s a big step. We don’t want to put too much pressure on him. He has to take his time to consider some options, like Moto2. He is focussed on the championship which is a special moment in his career.

“We are a factory-supported team. It’s not a satellite team. Our bike will be very close to the ‘factory’ spec.”