The Aprilia rider saw his last chance to improve taken a𒆙way when Jack Miller fell at the slow Turn 5 hairpin.

As Es꧙pargaro passed the scene of the accident, he looked across and gestured his displeasurꦇe.

Afterwards, the Spaniard clarified that his reaction wasn’t directed at Miller but🐭 the big TV scree൲n just behind him, which showed there was no time left for another lap.

“I was unlucky,” Espargaro said. “I was talking with Jack because he thought I was blaming him. I was not blaming him aꦿt all, but his crash was on the big screen.

“So I watched the big screen and saw there was🎐 only 41 seconds [left]. It was my second cancelled lap due to a yellow flag and I realised I had no time to attempt a third flying lap.

“I was angry with the situation, but not bl💮aming Jack. Poor Jack crashed, what꧋ can you say to him?

“But I was angry with the situation, because I kn🎃ow how tight MotoGP is and today my potential was higher than fifth place. That's all.”

As Miller was making his way back to the pits, he then experienced a near-miss with Espargaro’s team-mate Maverick Vinales, 𝔍costing the Australian a Long Lap penalty for the race.

Espargaro: My FP4 pace ‘surprisingly fast’

While Francesco Bagnaia and Fabio Quartararo head t꧙he list of pre-race favourites, having filled the top two places in b🤪oth final practice and qualifying, the pair set their best FP4 times on the hard rear tyre while Espargaro (fourth) spent the entire session on a soft.

“No idea about the tyres, yet,” he said. “My pace in FP4 was surprisingly fast. The tyre didn't drop and I manꦇaged to do I think 10 laps in the ‘32s, which is very very fast!

“But it look likes the ✅hard gives you a little bit more stability. I didn't try it yet. I will try in the warm up.

“I think Pecco, Fabio 🌼and my꧑self are a little bit faster than the rest in terms of pace, but Martin [third] and Bezzecchi [fourth] did a very good job in qualifying. So I will be a little bit more stressed in the first laps. But this is MotoGP!”

Whatever happens on Sunday, Espargaro will go into the summer break holding second in the world﷽ champi♎onship, since he is currently 34 points behind Quartararo and 27 clear of Johann Zarco (who will start seventh).