168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Aleix Espargaro came within 0.052s of completing a dream home MotoGP ไfarewell in Catalunya with a podium finish on Sunday.

After announcing his retirement 🌳at the end of this season, the Aprilia star promptly topped practice, took pole position and won the Saturday Sprint.

But Sunday's full-length grand prix, on the medium rather than soft rear tyre, proved a much toug✃her challenge.

Dropping from pole to six🥂th in the early stages, Espargaro reclaimed ground and inherited third when Pedro Acosta crashed out on lap 11 of 24.

A pass by ꦿMarc Marquez then stripped Espargaro of the podium with four laps remaining, but the #41 dug deep and was close enough to consider an all-or-nothing lunge in the final corners.

“With the soft tyre, I was a lot s𒊎tronger. But today with the medium I never felt good,” Espargaro said. “At the end I tried my best to stay close t💟o Marc, but I was just sliding, sliding, sliding.

“I tried everything because Marcꦚ had𝐆 no grip on the right corners. So I said to myself, ‘OK, if you are closer in 13 or 14, maybe you can go for the inside.

“But he protected ꦓthe inside and 𒅌at the very last moment I decided not to do it.

“I could have made a big mess!🌺 And with Marc, iಌn Catalunya, in a special weekend for me, I didn't want that. Fourth place is good enough.

But Espargaro insisted he had no regrets: “I fought like 𒀰a lion⭕ all race.

“It was for a podium in m💦y last race at home, so it was the moment to risk. So I tried e꧑verything. But Marc is Marc. No mistakes. And he secured his podium.

“Youཧ saw the first three bikes [were Ducatis] on the podium today and the Aprilia was fourth. I tried everything but not enough.”

Espargaro finished 5.4s clear of the next-best Aprilia 🗹of Raul Fernandez, on the 2023-spec bike in fifthℱ.

Factory team-mate Maverick Vinales was a 🐈distant 12 seconds behind Espargaro in 12th.

But Espargaro admitted he could do nothing about the p🌱ace of Ducati duo Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin, 🐷who finished ten seconds ahead.

“They beat my race time from last year by 20 secoꦛnd🅺s, which is crazy,” Espargaro said.

“[Ducati] chose this track for testing and they i﷽mproved a lotꦬ.

“They found something in the tyre saving. They found something for sure with 🦩the medium tyre. This is why testing is very, very, very important.

“The result here last year was a 1-2 for the Aprilias. This year they [Ducati] chose Barcelona [as a test track].꧋ We diꩵdn't… 1-2 for Ducatis.”

Al⛄though Espargaro intends to switch to test and wild-card duties for 2025, he surprised by revealing it probably w🃏on’t be for Aprilia…