Danny Kent will replace Bradley Smith in Herve Poncharal's Tech3 Moto2 line-up to make it a trio of British riders in the French-based squad with Smith moving up to MotoGP as Cal Crutchlow's team-mate.

The youngster is currently sixth in the Moto3 championship standings but his size is proving something of a barrier and he believes a step up to the bigger 600cc-powered class will help.

“I am delighted to be joining the Tech3 Racing Moto2 Team for 2013 and this is a great opportunity for me to take my career to the next level. I am under no illusions how difficult racing in the Moto2 class is going to be, but I can't think of a better team to join than Tech3 Racing to help me learn," said Kent.

"Herve Poncharal is somebody I have a lot of respect for and the team is very professional and I had no hesitation in agreeing to sign when I knew how much they wanted me. I feel ready to make this step because my physical size is not ideal for the Moto3 class, and I can't wait to start learning and understanding the Mistral 610 machine.

"The bike has been close to the podium this season, which gives me a lot of confidence in its potential. I want to finish my time in Moto3 with some strong results in the last four races before putting all my focus and energy into preparing for this new adventure with the Tech3 Racing Team.”