The Repsol Honda rider had been in the limelight f🍒or much of the day, saving a big front-e🍒nd slide in practice, then playing his controversial towing cards to advance through Q1 and take eighth in Qualifying 2.

The Spaniard still doubted his race pace but delivered one of his “best starts in years” to reach fifth on the opening lap before slugging it out in a group that included Aleix Espargaro, Marco ⛦Bezzecchi, brother Alex and Francescꦬo Bagnaia.

“No, no,” admitted Marc Marquez, when asked if he expected such a result. “Because yesterday I was 11th but with the rhythm I wa🅠s very far. Tౠoday I was 8th [in qualifying] but with the rhythm very far.

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“But then in the Sprint I was able to start very good, good first lap, overtook some riders and I felt🐻 very good in the front. I was not one of the fastest, but I felt very good.”

Marquez actually set the secon🌜d fastest lap of the race, slower than only winner Jorge Martin, on 5 of 13 but looked set to finish in fifth until a last lap error by Espargaro⭕ suddenly put the Aprilia within striking distance.

Marquez and Espargaro swapped places until the #93 settled their battlಞe by launching his RCV inside at the final corner to claim fourth.

“I did not win [the battle𝔉], Aleix lost the position because he was one s⛄econd in front of me more or less and he made a big mistake in Turn 1 and another one in Turn 3,” Marquez said.

“Then I was able to have the chance to fight with him. He overtook me also in a very nice movement from Turn 6 to Turn 7 but then the last turn is༒ a cor🍎ner that I like!

“🦄I was able to overtake him, stop the bike and… It’s only a 4th place ܫand it is only a Sprint race but we must enjoy these nice moments with the team.”

Th🧸e next best Honda rider was Marquez’s team-ma൩te Joan Mir, in twelfth.

All the Honda riders had complained about a lack of acceleration on Friday. In Ma♛rquez’s case, they had worked around the problem rather than solving it.

“What we did is to only make a bike for the br🥂aking points,” he revealed. “We can set up differently the bike, but we are losing always because it is difficult t𒈔o get the traction.

“But, yeah, what we did is be more stable on the braking points. I am braking later and pushing more the front. More risky. More in the limit, but for the Sprint race it’s possible. For the main race tomorrow it will be more difficu♍lt,” he warned.

“Now we have to understand the rear ༺tyre because our bike with the hard rear I am struggling a lot and we don’t have the stopping [performance] in a straight line. But we need to understand which rear tyre [to race] and then develop the strategy.”

One strategy that again paid off for Marquez was hitching a tow from faste♈r riders in qualifying, starting with KTM’s Jack Miller in Qualifying 1.

“The target in Q1 was the Gresini ⛦riders [not Miller] but I was late. That is normal: sometimes they are fast [at leaving the pits].

“Then we went out an🤡d we were many riders waiting and I will not be the fir🎀st rider to push!

“With the first tyre I think I was behind Pol Espargaro, and then in the las🍃t one I was behind Jack but he was behind Mir who was behind Bastianini. We were many behind one another but I was able to take🌠 the profit from that slipstream.”

Miller, who didn’t progres💯s past Qualifying 1, said of the tow: “It didn’t bother me. At the end of the day, you can’t let it bother you. If you get frustrated when you’re riding these monsters around, it takes away from what you’re doing.

“It wasn’t🌳 the first time and🐓 won’t be the last. And I’m not the only victim.”