Sandro Cortese, leader of the inaugural Moto3 World Championship, will step-up to the Moto2 class for 2013.

According to the official MotoGP website, Red Bull KTM star Cortese - who holds a commanding 46-point lead over Maverick Vinales with five rounds remaining - has signed a two-year deal to ride for a new 'Intact GP' team running a Kalex chassis.

"I?m really happy to get this chance of riding next year in the Moto2. But now i have to put all my concentration on the last races," Cortese wrote on Twitter.

Cortese has won three races this season, his eighth year in the junior grand prix class, compared with five wins for Vinales.

However Vinales (FTR Honda) has suffered three non-scores, while Cortese has been on the podium at all but one round, when he claimed a sixth place.