With his back seemingly against the wall, Marquez did what he does best and performed when it mattered most. The first magic lap came at the end of Q1, having barely challenged the top five, the #93 went 1.2 seconds faster than his previous best lap to take second in the session and move to Q2. Perfectly timed, the delight was clear to see as the eight-time World Champion pounded his chest in celebration.

The story repeated itself in Q2, Marquez setting a best lap of 1’59.347 on his first run and with the clock rapidly decreasing as he went back out for a second attempt. Finding another 0.9s, Marquez shot up to third thanks to a 1’58.454 and secured his third front-row start since his return to competition in Aragon.

Free Practice 3 was poised to be a crucial session, the rain holding and a number of riders hunting fast times after Friday afternoon’s downpour. But for the Honda Team it would become an incredibly complicated session as traffic and two crashes impacted the team’s performance, the Honda Team said in a release on Saturday.

Riding slowly on the racing line, Franco Morbidelli disturbed a number of riders — including Marc Marquez. The disruption while on a hot lap, combined with falling rain, meant the #93 was unable to secure a place in the top ten. On the other side of the Honda Team, falls at Turn 15 and Turn 1 for Espargaro cemented a troublesome morning.

Espargaro would ultimately struggle with the third crash in Free Practice 4, at Turn 8.

Setting the best time of 1’59.363 in Q1 for seventh, Espargaro will start 20th for Sunday’s race after the penalty has been applied. Rain may provide salvation for the #44.

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