Marc Marquez's hopes of extending his unbeaten COTA MotoGP run to seven in a row came crashing down when the world champion made a shock mistake ๊while holding a comfortable lead in Sunday's race.

Again the dominant force in practice and qualifying at Austin, the Repsol Honda star looked set to increase his title lead as he bolted to a ൩3.6s advantage.

But the reigning five-time champion lost the front as he turned in to the tight left-hander at the end of the back straight on lap 9 of 20, his m꧋isery compounded when he fell a second time while desperately trying ♍to restart his RC213V.

"It has been six amazing years here, but today, I did a big mi﷽stake. Just when I arrive to the corner," Marquez said.

"I said sorrꦑy to the team, froꦆm here I say sorry to the fans, because it was my mistake. But on the other side, it's not the same making a mistake leading the race than fighting for the fifth position, for example, so the level is there.

"I tried to bump start 🔯the bike, but alr🔯eady the foot rest was damaged. I tried to push the bike, but the bike was not running. And then I crashed on the other side. In that moment it was hard [to accept], but in two weeks we have another race, so it's no problem.

"The positive thing is that we are only nine points b💟ehind the leader. It's true that today we did a mistake. That can happen. We are human, and the most important thing is to learn about it and understand, and try to be stronger in Jerez."

yesterday at  

After making a lightning start and breaking away from the fꦐield, a crash at turn 12 cost him his chance 𒈔at his 7th victory in a row at the Texan venue!  

— MotoGP™  (@MotoGP)

Although Marquez was quick to accept responsibility for the accident, he wasn't entirely sure what had happened✅.

"It was a mistake. Of course it was a mistake, because you cannot crash leading by 3.5 seconds, this was a mistake," he replied. "But it's true that when we compared the data, it wasℱ very similar to the previous lap, but when you are riding in a very constant pace, and you feel strong, it can happen.

"Yesterday we had small problems. This morning in the warm up, we fixed them. For that reason, I was riding at a very good pace in the race, I was just pushing in the beginning to arrive at the front, but then I saw already the gap, and then I slow down t🧜o 2m 4.5s, because for me, that was a good rhythm, I was comfortable there.

"But you know, sometimes these things happen, this is racing, and🙈 this is something that can happen. Disap𒅌pointed, it was hard to understand, but it's like this," added the #93, who denied third place Jack Miller's suggestion that he had pushed the front tyre too hard in the early laps.

Marquez🥀 also said he didn't have any prior moments to suggest he was close to the limit.

"I did🌳n't have any warnings during all the race, but it's true that the weekend was strange, and I couldn't work normally, nobody co♓uld work in the best way [due to the weather]. But I didn't have any warning, and I was riding in a very good way, more or less like Argentina."

Eager to look to the future, Marquez will now start the European season fourth in the world championship and nine points b💧ehind Andrea Dovizioso.

"We are only nine points behind the first guy, who is Dovizioso. I'm happy, because I'm there in the championshi📖p.

"But the most important🏅 thing is what I said. I feel like this year we have a good package, I think we have a very good level, and don't worry.

"We have enough races in front, and there will be more mistakes, maybe from me, or maybe from the othe⛎rs. Because the championship is very long, but it's important to learn about it. "

Might it🥃 even be a sli🍌ght relief to no longer have the pressure of continuing the perfect win streak?

"No, that pressure has been during the last two or three years, so it's not a big problem. I repeat, if you crash following somebody or fighting on the last lap, you are over ✤your limit, then yes.

"But if you cras🍎h when you have 3. 5 seconds of advantage... But racing is like this, I mean, sometimes in this sport, you have a mistake where you don't expect. So today was this kind of mistake."

A nightmare race for Honda also saw team-mate Jorge Lorenzo retire with a technical problem and LCR's Cal Crutchlow fall wh൲ile fighting for second, leaving tenth place Takaaki Nakagami as the only RC213V to reach the cheqeured fl𝓡ag.