British Talent Team to take Moto3 '18 hiatus

McPhee, 23, joined the newly-formed, Dorna-supported British Talent Team squad this year, and began the season strongly with a pair of second places in the first two rounds at Qatar and Argentina.

However, the Scottish rider has struggled to maintain that form, picking up only one more podium at Assen and slipping to seventh in the riders' standings with two rounds to go.

British Talent Team bosses have decided to take a year's hiatus from Moto3 next year, and will instead enter a two-bike team in the Spanish-based CEV Moto3 series for Tom Booth-Amos and Charlie Nesbitt.

The team's intention is to return to Moto3 in 2019, by which time the first riders from the British Talent Cup, set to begin next year and having selected its first 22 competitors, will also be ready for a graduation to the world championship.

McPhee will switch to the CIP team, where he will join Kazakh rider Makar Yurchenko, with Dorna's blessing for what will be his sixth full season in Moto3.