Second to eventual winner Aleix Espargar💙o during morning warm-up bolstered such expectations, but in the space of a few 'nightmare' laps the Monster Yamaha star plummeted from sixth to 13th in the race.

Quartararo was battling a 'ridiculous' lack of grip, exacerbating his M1's top speed defic♚it along the back straight.

"The big issue was rear grip and top speed," Quartararo said. "We already knew about the top speed, but the🗹 rear gri🃏p was ridiculous. 

"I was losing positions and seeing other꧑ guys pull away in place💫s like Turn 6, which is just a matter of picking up the bike and opening the throttle. Pure grip. It was really frustrating and the first laps were a nightmare."

The same issue also blighted team-mate Franco Morbidelli, who dropped from 15th to 20th: "I lost some ground in the beginning to the other brands, with new tyres they are able to have the extra grip t🌃hat allows them to overtake us, even if they don't have higher pace."

With grip levels growing as the race progressed, Quartararo was eventually able to pick up his pace, recovering to eighth at the cheꦓquered flag but some ten-seconds behind Espargaro's Aprilia.

"As soon as there was more rubber on the track,🥀 it was better," Quartararo conℱfirmed. "But overtaking with our bike is really difficult.

"I did my best, b🌊ut I used my rear tyre more than expected, and I finished in eighth poꦬsition.

"But it's really frustrating in those first laps because I didn't make any big mistakes, I was juꦺst losing out because o🎃f the lack of grip.

"The warm-up was before the Moto2 race [rubber] and with lower temperature, so more grip. Also, if you are starting fro🌸m the front instead of sixth you wouldn't lose so many places in the opening laps.

"The solution is more grip but it's not easy to find. In three y꧟ears they didn't find it, so let's see."

Morbidelli was forced out by an early puncture as he began to clim🐲b back up the order: "Luckily I man🌜aged to stay on the bike, because I was almost highsiding big time, but I caught it in time and then just stopped."

Quartararo is now fifth in the world championship a🌸nd ten points from new leader Espargaro, with Morbidelli twelfth in the standings.

"I have no ♏deadline, I will take my time," Quartararo added of his 2023 contract negotiations.