Reigning world champion Marc Marquez met the MotoGP media in COTA on Thursday (pictured), where he faced renewed questions about the drama in Argentina and rock-💙bottom relationship with Valentino Rossi.

But, wisely perhaps, Marquez avoided all mention of♛ the Italian as he side-stepped a question about the 'angry words after the race', his relationship with Rossi and what he expects from the Italian this weekenܫd.

"I mean, the race weekend in Argentina and especially on Sunday was really difficult. Really tricky for the condition🃏s. And yeah many, many thin🎶gs during the race weekend," Marquez replied.

"But anyway I'm a rider, a person, who likes to improve and especi🧜ally I like to learn from everything. And I think from that Sunday everybody can learn many, many, many things and we will try to improve for the future."

The Spaniard had already given his version♕ of events on Sunday evening at Termas de Rio Hondo, where he sought to explain three penalties in the space of an hour, two of which were for colliding with other riders.

The start-line penalty was due to confusion about🧸 what the officials wanted him to do, Marquez had ཧsaid, adding that the contact with Aleix Espargaro had been his biggest mistake, while the subsequent clash with Rossi was an error on a damp track but 'nothing crazy'.

Marquez was more forthcoming when quizzed further on the start-line incident: Why it had happened and why he chos𒀰e to try and (successful﷽ly) restart the bike himself.

"Honda analysed very deeply why the engine stopped on the grid✨," he explained. "It was like something on the gearbox with the dashboard, something electronic, and they will try to fix for the future.

"For example, it happened to Cal in practice but, they tho🔜ught it was just a mistake. So it was not only me, but unluckily it happened to me on the grid before the race. It was a shame."

It was Marquez's actions following the stall that resulted in the ride-through penalty. The Spaniard briefly raised his hand, as the rules state, but then jumped from the bike and🥃 was miraculously able to restart it himself.

The #93 turned his Honda around and - after a brief int🌱eraction with an official - returned to his grid slot and started the race.

"Obviously I realised that when I stopped the engine I was going to the pits, because n𓆉ormally a MotoGP bike, with one rider, is impossible to start alone," he said.

"I was going on the pits because there we have the [starter] 🔯machine, with the mechanic, but I tried [to start it] and the engine ran. And then was a big confusion with Race Direction, with IRTA, because also in the past it was possible to start the engine aga൩in and come to back to your grid position.

"The problem was a misunderstanding there and a big confusion for everybody. But we learn, every𓆏body learn about 🐟that situation."

Pressed further on why he only waited for a short time with his hand in the air before jumping from the bike, Marque𝓀zꦐ replied:

"It'🌜s true and I know tha🐷t you have to raise your hand. But when you are there on the grid and raise your hand for two-seconds, more-or-less, for a rider it feels like four-seconds. And I didn’t see anybody [officials] coming.

"So then I started to run 🗹to be as quick as possible tಌo the pits.

"But unluckily-luckily I tried to start the engine and the engine started and then there was the biggest confusion for everybody. But now I know for the future, but I don'tꦡ want to repeat that situation of course."

Marquez, who is seeking to extend a perfect COTA pole and win record to six-in-a-𓄧row this weekend, has dropped to fifth in the world championship, 18 points behind LCR Honda's Cal ඣCrutchlow.

Rossi will 💙speak🌊 to the media later this afternoon…

UPDATE: Rossi's press meeting is now over: '168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:I think exactly w꧒hat I said in❀ Argentina...'