"It's true that on a quali lap I take too much risk, and I was slower because I was exaggerating and I was trying to be faster than the tyres and the bike allowed,” Marquez explained. “Then you are against the bike and start to slide and are shaking everywhere, and it was not the best lap honestly speaking – but enough to be on pole position.

Gold went the way of Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) despite a dramatic opening half a lap, but it was intense – and tense – behind as the Championship leader claimed his seventh Sprint victory of the season at Aragon.

With just four laps to go, it was Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) vs Maverick Viñales at Turn 1, with the Spaniard passing the Frenchman but using all the track to do so; Quartararo had to sit up, allowing Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) to zip by.