The Aprilia rider, who had dominated much of the weekend but was unable to match Fabio Quartararo in the race, had been holding off the Pramac Ducatis of Jorge Martin and💮 Johann Zarco for second when he backedꦗ off and began waving at Turn 1.

As riders accelerated past, Espargaro realised his shocking error, which ultimately dropped him to fifth pl🅷ace, and was incoಌnsolable in the garage afterwards.

“I’m sorꦡry. That’s the only thing that I can say, sorry to my team. It's completely my faul🦩t,” he said.

Espargaro is not the first rider to makeꦅ such an error, previous examples including Kenny Roberts in 2006 and Julian Simon in 2🦂009.

All have followed a similar pattern, with a rider misunderstanding the laps remaining 🧸on the🅺 main straight timing tower, rather than looking at their pit board or for a chequered flag.

In Espargaro’s case, the Aprilia garage was also the first out of the fast final corner and he was often failing to see his p🐼it board, causing him to rely♛ even more on the timing tower to countdown the laps.

The five-second gap to Quar🐻tararo ahead also meant Espargaro would&nbs💫p;not have expected to see the Frenchman celebrating until later on the slow down lap.

“My people [with the pit board] were the first ones [out of the last corner],” he said. “So some laps I had no time to l👍ook at t👍he laps [remaining on the pit board] as well as the gap with Martin.

“I was pushing to the limit so I just watched the gap with Martin, +0.6, then I watched the tower𒀰 and I saw ‘L1’. So I did one more lap and I didn't remem𒆙ber that here in Barcelona last lap is ‘0’ not ‘1’. And I closed the gas on the straight.

“So I'm v🐎ery sorry for my team because, I didn't have the speed of Fabio to win, but if I want to beat him in the championship I cannot do these mistakes. Today I lost 9 [extra] points🎉, so I'm very sorry.”

Espargaro remains second in the world championship but the end of his four-race podium streak has seen him slip 22 points from reigning champion﷽ Quartararo.

With hindsight, Espargaro felt he could have at least s꧟tuck with Quartararo at the start of the race but had been too wary of tyre conservation.

“Yesterday between Michelin and my team, everybody put a lot of worry into my [mind] ▨by saying that I use a lot of tyre🀅, that I had to be gentle on the first laps and I was too gentle sincerely,” Espargaro said.

“Because at🐠 the end of the race, when 🍌I overtook Martin, I had enough tyre to put 41.5s and go away.

“I think Fa𝓡bio was not faster than me, but he was smarter, was able to push at the beginning, and then it's impossible to recover 2 - 2.5 seconds to Fabio. I think I could have gone with him at the bꦬeginning. But anyway, it's too late.”

Team-mate Mav🍰erick Vinales, who gambled on the soft rear, finished seventh.

"It was kind of a gamble but all weekend I was good with the soft," Vinales said. "🐽It was not bad, honestly. I just expected a little bit more in the beginning. But the track was very tricky today."

"Tomorrow is a v🍎ery important day for us," Vinales said of Monday's official test. "Aprilia is working so hard, I think we have a new🙈 aero package, different chassis, different swingarm. Many important things.

"For me it's very interesting to try a different chassis. Because still I don't feel I have the flow. I’m a little bit rigid on the bike. I🐎 need to try to get better feelings and better feedback from the bike."

Of his team-mate's last-lap mistake, Vinales added: "There is a big tower here. But when the first guy passes to start the last lap, they put '0'. It's confusing. I think he’s not the only rider to have that happen here 🎀in Montmelo.

"To look at the tower is the pr▨oblem, but it's easier to look at the tower than the pit board."

Riders also have a l♓ap count available on their dashboard but it can sometimes get out of sync. For example, if it starts counting from the warm-up lap, rather than the race start.

As such, the on🌺ly conclusivཧe proof of reaching the finish remains seeing the chequered flag.

"I look at my pit board,🍒 and even if they've made a mistake, I don't stop until I see the bloody chequered flags!" said Remy Gardner.