Jake Dixon says the switch to Triumph engines next year made the“time to go” to Moto2 “now”, after he agreed a one-year deal to join the Angel Nieto team in 2019.
Briton Dixon had been linked with a move to Moto2 for some time, which was finally confirmed during the Aragon Grand Prix weekend.
Dixon currently competes in the British Superbike Championship with Lee Hardy Racing, where he has emerged as one of its leading riders despite '18 being just his third season in the class, and is still in championship contention – albeit 61 points adrift of series leader Leon Haslam – in second in the standings with one round remaining.
Moto2 will switch from the Honda CBR600 engine it has used since the series' inception in '10 to 765cc Triumph motors next year, which Dixon thinks will make the class a “level playing field”.
He believes this will be the ideal time to move into the class, admitting he would have to “think twice” about a switch if the Honda engine was still in use due to the experience most of the grid has with it.
“I think Moto2 is such a good stepping stone, especially with coming into the Triumph era,” Dixon told BT Sport.
“I think it's a level playing field for everybody, and like I say I can't wait. I think this is the time to go now.
“I think if it was the Honda you'd have to think twice about it a bit more, because the boys have been on it for five or six years now and they have a lot of experience, but to come to a new engine is gonna make the characteristic of the bike more different and I think this is the right time.
“I'm young and hungry to make success here.”
Dixon revealed his Moto2 move had been “brewing for a while”, but admits his deal came “all of a sudden” as at one stage it looked unlikely to happen.
“It's been brewing for a while, and for ages Frankie [Carchedi, manager] has been going back and forward with the team, and at one point I didn't think it was going to happen.
“Then all of a sudden it just overnight blew up and it happened, and I just can't thank Frankie enough and obviously the team.
“They're such a great bunch, I knew them from when I come to the rounds with Frankie and just watch.
“So I roughly know some of the guys in here already, and like I say I just can't thank everyone in the Angel Nieto team enough and obviously Jorge Martinez [team owner] to give me the opportunity to showcase myself in Moto2.”
Dixon made his Moto2 debut at Silverstone last year, deputising for the injured Marcel Schrotter at Intact GP.
He managed to finish a respectable 25th in the race, and was due to make wildcard appearance with the team at the finale in Valencia, but crashed heavily in practice and ruled himself out.
Next season marks the Nieto squad's first in Moto2 since it departed at the end of '14 to focus on its MotoGP effort, while its premier class grid slots will be taken over by the incoming SIC Petronas Yamaha team.
