Pol Espargaro believes he can challen𒈔ge for another MotoGP podium after securing a fo🐬urth top six qualifying result since Silverstone.

Espargaro, who has looked fast and consistent all weekend, was on course to finish as the♏ second fastest Honda behind Alex Marquez, however, a late effort saw the Repsol Honda rider jump from ninth to fifth. 

While qualifying has been Espargaro’s main strength of late, the former KTM rider 🍎has also made significant steps in race trim, which he believes will continue if the correct tyre choice is made for today’s race.

Speaking after qualifying, Espar🀅garo said: "Today sho🐭wed the progress we have made this year with the bike, with me and with the team. 

"I made a mistake✨ at T1 during my fastest lap so maybe I could have found another tenth but otherwise I was feeling good on the bike – even after our crash in FP4. 

"The f🏅ront two rows are our target every weekend, when you’🔯re here you can be there in the group in the race with a good start. 

"I’m happy we’ve made this step, but we can be there. Still, we need to look a bit at what tyre to use in the ra🎐ce because there’s a lot ofꦿ possible options here."

For Espargaro’s team-mate Stefan Bradl, the German rider was unable to find enouꦇgh improvements to challenge Q1’s quickest r꧙iders.

Instead, Bradl will start from 20th - just ahead of Andre🍃a Dovi🍌zioso and fellow Honda rider Takaaki Nakagami.

"Qualifying was OK, of course I would have liked to be further ahead but in the end I am still ꦅmissing something over one lap," added Bradl. 

"This is probably the area where I see the biggest difference between myself and the other riders, pushing to get the most out of the tyre over one la🔯p. 

"In the end I think we have done and are doing a good job, the distance to the front is not very big ❀becau🌊se the times are so tight. 

"Let’s see what happens in the race, t𝔉he plan is to stay in the group and see what happens."