Aleix Espargaro and Aprilia took another step towards the front of MotoGP with a debut front row for the RS-GP in Gꦆermany.

Things got even better when the Spaniard grabbed the holeshot into Turn 1 of the race, with only eventual w💮inner Marc Marquez able to squeeze past the #41 during the early laps.

But the arrival of a brief rain shower combined with '𝔉ܫon the limit' mid-corner issues saw a 'frustrated' Espargaro fade back to seventh place.

"I don't know what happened in the race but I couldn’t follow them in mid-corner," Espargaro said. "They have a lot more traction than me, so I risked everywhere trying to recover but it’s alway🎉s too much on the limit. Sincerely, I’m frustrated because I was really expecting much better than seventh place.

"We realised in other circuits the engine makes the difference, today no excuse about the engine," he added. "The engine was not the most important thing and I could follo🍌w Marc quite good because this was not really a demanding circuit for power.

"But especially on traction I suffered a lot. So, the thing is not just to have a strong engine, but also to put the po♈wer to the ground.

"They have like another control we 🙈don’t have on the electronics side ꦿin mid-corner. It's like they put cruise control in mid-corner and just disappear turning and I’m fighting against the highside every single corner.

"To ride like this, I know it’s MotoGP and I know I have to ride in the limit every moment I jump on the bike, but maybe not that mu🍎ch. The stress is very, very high and I can’t fight for the podium yet.

"I always want more but the reality is that we have ☂made a good step forward compared to 2020, and not just in one circuit or in qualifying, but everywhere and every circumstance. So this makes me happy.

"We are a lot more in front✅ than other seasons, but I want to finish in front when the chequered flag is out. So it’s not enough for the moment."

Espargaro cre🃏dited Marquez for being especially 'brave' during the brief rain shower, allowing the Honda rider to pull a slight advantage over the field and go on to claim his first win since 2019.

"I have huge respect to Marc obviously, but sincerely today I didn’t expect him to win," Espargaro said. "He’s been brave on the moment of the race when the rain arrived because actually we were talking this after the race with♛ Marc and Fabio.

"It was not just a couple of d🏅rops on the screens. I almost crashed in turn eight, and the track was slippery for four or five laps.

"So, he was brave enough to make the difference there, and then to maintain for the win. Congrats to him. He’s very fast here, we know it. He made the difference because to win with an advantage in MotoGP now is not easy, so he 𒊎did a really good, strong race. "

Rookie team-mate Lorenzo Savadori crashed out of the Sachsenringꦫ race.

Espargaro heads to this weekend's Assen round holding ninth iඣn the world championship.