Moto3 frontrunner Fabio Di Giannantonio will make his Moto2 debut in 2019 after signing a two-year deal to join the Speed Up team.
Gresini's Di Giannantonio has been a mainstay in the Moto3 class since his debut campaign in '16, and secured his debut win at this year's Czech Grand Prix.
Relations have soured between the Italian and team owner Fausto Gresini in recent races, after the Italian sought an exit from his current contract to pursue a Moto2 move, leading to a legal dispute.
Di Giannantonio has now sealed his intermediate class future with Speed Up, agreeing a two-year contract with the Italian outfit.
“First of all I want to thank Luca [Boscoscuro, team boss] for giving me this opportunity that I have sought and wanted so far,” he said.
“I’m happy and ready to start this new adventure. The Moto2 class is a demanding category and at the beginning I will take me some time to adapt, but the desire to learn is so great and I’m sure the team can help me.
“Now I have the last five races of this 2018, I will give my best to try and make a champion jump.”
Di Giannantonio will join current Gresini Moto2 man Jorge Navarro at Speed Up next year, marking the second-successive season the team has fielded an all-new line-up.
“I am really pleased to announce that Fabio Di Giannantonio will join the Speed Up Racing team for the next 2 seasons,” Boscoscuro added.
“For me, Fabio joining the team is a big and exciting challenge and we will fight together to achieve excellent results.
“Fabio is a talented young man and has what it takes to compete in Moto2. We are impatient to see him on a Speed Up bike.”
Current Speed Up rider Fabio Quartararo will make his MotoGP debut next year with the SIC Petronas Yamaha team.
Earlier this week, Speed Up confirmed it had parted ways with British rider Danny Kent following a difficult year. He will be replaced by Edgar Pons for the remaining races, while Kent is eyeing a possible British Superbike switch for '19.
Di Giannantonio still holds an outside shot at this year's Moto3 crown in third in the standings, 41 points adrift of championship leader and teammate Jorge Martin – who will also make his Moto2 debut next year with Red Bull KTM Ajo.
In other '19 Moto2 news, the Pons team has confirmed Spanish Grand Prix winner Lorenzo Baldassarri will stay put, while Augusto Fernandez – who has been riding in place of the ousted Hector Barbera since the Barcelona round – will remain as his teammate.
