Alex Rins says his tussle with Marc Marquez during MotoGP qualifying at Brno last year was the moment he realised th🌊e reigning world champion viewed him as a rival.

Riding on a tricky damp track in the Czech Republic, Rins was on a🏅 fast lap when he caught a slower-moving Marquez, the pair subsequently making contact🍌 as the Suzuki rider barged through a narrow space.

Marquez responded with a close pass of his own before pulling into pit lane. Rins followed, accelerating alongside before&nb𝔍sp;fading across the front of the Repsol Honda rider, who reached out with his arm to put some space between their machines.

"Marc iℱs so good at these mental things, he plays a lot with all the riders," Rins told the official MotoGP website.

"For example in Brno last year, I was on a fast lap, he looked be𓂃hind at me and opened the line a little bit, but not too much. I was on the dry line and I touched him. I lost my lap, but I continued pushing. Then in the last chicane he overtook me so closely, we were so close to a crash, and then he went into pit lane.

"From that moment, ⛦I said to myself, Marc is considering me as a rival."

Rins - who declared "168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史🤪:Marquez has no respect for other riders" immediately after the incident - got his 🀅revenge in the form of a thrilling last-corner victory pass on Marquez a few weeks later at Silverstone.

"Marc is the man to beat and the rivalry is so high," Rins said. "More in 2019, becauseඣ I shared more moments on track with him.

"For sure whenever he finishes just in front of me, I'm a bit angry, I want to beat him. But also for him. I r🐼emember when I beat him🀅 in Silverstone he was so, so angry."

Rins added: "I like this because it means that I'm doing a good job. Marc is an incredꦿible rider, winning a lot of races and championships, and if he thinks of me as a rival, it means I'm there fightinওg him."

Rins took two&nbꦗsp;wins on his way to a best-yet fourth in the 201🍬9 MotoGP standings.