Espargaro was seen by many as the favourite for Sunday’s full-distance race at the Losail International Circuit, with six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez leading the praise for the Aprilia rider after he showed stunning pace in the closing laps of the sprint to finis third.
But the 34-year-old’s hopes of adding a fourth premier class win to his tally were dashed at the start of the grand prix as he slumped from second to ninth on the opening lap, leaving him outside the lead group.
