Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro claimed his second-best Sunday finish of the season with sixth place, and top non-Ducati, in the British Gr🍒and Prix.

But having started from pole, finished third in the Silverstone Sprint and held the sam🦩e position early in the main race, Espargaro was frustrated to then be overtaken ꦍby three Desmosedicis.

“I think we did a solid job during the weekend, we did a lap record yesterday, lap♉ record today, but in terms of management of the rear tyre, there's nothing I could do,” said Espargaro, riding i🌌n a Max Biaggi replica livery for MotoGP's 75th anniversary.

“It was very frustrating to see one and another and another Ducati overtake me, and going away. I tried my best with the electronics, trying up and down with the engine brake, with the TC [traction control], but nothing more I could 💧do.”

While Espargaro had joined the rest of the field in running the medium rear tyre, he was one of only two riders to risk the hard front in the cool temperꦐatures.

The other, Tr🀅ack༒house Aprilia rider Raul Fernandez, lost the front and crashed on the opening lap, wiping out team-mate Miguel Oliveira in the process.

But while a “brave” choice, Espargaro emphasised that the hard front had saved his race and t🉐hat rear degradation was the cause of his frustration.

“The hard front was the solution [not the problem], actua♊lly,” he said. “With these spots of rain, less than 30 degrees, to put the hard front, I've been very brave, and it paid off. I recovered a lot of time on the brakes.

“We know it was the right decision and luckily we took it, because there was a moment on the grid where I was very afraid. But the problem is the rear. Ther𒉰e is nothing we can do against them, it's very frustrating.”

“I felt that I was riding in really good during the weekend, no mistakes, really close to the li🎶mit all weekend, andꦛ going home with a sixth place is quite frustrating,” he added,

“But there are some types of days where more is impossible and t▨oday is this day [even if] the difference to the other Aprilias all 🐷weekend, the KTM, Yamaha and Honda is huge.”

Espargaro finished just almost 7s clear of top KTM rider Pedro Acosta (ninth), over 14s from the lea𒆙d Yamaha of Fabio Quartararo (11th) and 16.5s from the fastest Honda o༒f Johann Zarco (14th).

On🎶e technical positive was that the new Aprilia aero upgrade, introduced at Silverstone, appea🃏rs to make the bike less physical to ride.

“Silverstone is not really demanding, but yesterday talking with Jorge and 💙Enea after the podium, they were tired and I wasn't. And today I'm like before the race. So it means that something he🔯lps,” he said.

Bastianini “reminds me of Pedrosa, one of the title favourites”

Quizzed on how double Silve🐓rstone winner Enea Bastianini saves more rear tyre than the other Ducati riders, Espargaro replied:

“He's really smooth. He reminds me of Dani [Peღdrosa] when he [Bastianini] is on his best days: Slowing and accelerating really, really smoothly and taking care of the rear tyre.

“[Bastianini] nee🐓ds to understand what's different on these types of days. And if he's able to understand this, he will be clearly the man to beat. He will be one of the favour🐲ites for the title.

“Bec♔ause this weekend, the feeling - looking f🍌rom outside - is that it was very easy for him.”

Basti📖anini has now passed Marc Marquez for third in the world championship, sitting 49 points behind Pramac Ducati title leader Jorge Martin and 46 from reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia.