Current Moto3 points leader Marco Bezzecchi will not be hanging around to see if he needs another year to secure the title, after today’s official confirmation that he is to move straight up to Moto2.

The rising Italian has been signed up to the Tech 3 Moto2 team along with Jerez Moto3 winner Philipp Oettl, as the French team switches from its in-house Mistral chassis to KTM, in line with its move from Yamaha to KTM in MotoGP.

At the same time, Moto2 itself switches from its original race-tuned Honda CBR600 engines to three-cylinder 675 cc Triumphs.

According to Tech 3 chief Herve Poncharal, “For me this is the perfect moment to do it because … Moto3 is going to have a drastic change; a new engine from Triumph and a new ECU from Magneti Marelli.”

Other Moto2 movements for next year include hard-pushing Xavi Vierge switching from the Dynavolt Kalex team to join Alex Marquez at the VDS team; and current Gresini-Kalex rider Jorge Navarro to Speed Up, where he will replace the MotoGP-bound Fabio Quartararo.

By Michael Scott

Photos GnG

Bezzecchi, Austrian Moto3 2018