Aleix Espargaro and Apri♊lia took another step towards the front of MotoGP with a debut front row for the RS-GP in Germany.

Things got even better when the Spaniard grabbed the holeshot into Turn 1 of the race, with only eventual wi𝔉nner Marc Marquez able to squeeze past the #41 during the early laps.

But the arrival of a brief rain shower combined with 'on the limit' mid-corn🧔er issues saw a 'frustrated' Espargaro fade back to seventh place.

"I don't know what happened in the race but I couldn’t follow them in mid-corner," Espargaro said. "They have a lot more traction than me, so I riꦉsked everywhere trying to recover but it’s always too much on the limit. Sincerely, I’m frustrated because I was really expecting much better thanꦫ seventh place.

"We realised in other circuits the engine makes the difference, today no excuse 🦄about the engine," he added. "The engine was not the most important thing and I could follow Marc quite good because this was not really a demanding circuit for power.

"But especially on traction I suffered a lot. So, the thing i🦂s not just to have a st♍rong engine, but also to put the power to the ground.

"They have like another control we don’t have on the electronics side in mid-corner. It's like they put cruise control in mid-corner and just disapp🥂ear turning and I’m fighting against the highside every single corner.

"To ride like this, I know it’s MotoGP aꩲnd I know I have to ride in the limit every moment I jump on the bike, b💖ut maybe not that much. The stress is very, very high and I can’t fight for the podium yet.

"I always want more but the reality is that we have made a good step forward compared to 2020, and not just in one circuit or in qualifying, but everywhere and every circumstance. 🦄So this makes me happy.

"We are a lot more in front than other seasons, but I want to finish in front when the chequered flag is out. So it’♔s not enough for the moment."

Espargaro credited Marquez for being especially 'brave' during the brief rain shower, allowing the Honda rider to pull a slight advantage over the field and go on to claim his fiꦓrst win sinc꧅e 2019.

"I have huge respect ꦉto Marc obviously, but sincerely today I didn’t expect him to win," Espargaro said. "He’s been brave on the moment of th✃e race when the rain arrived because actually we were talking this after the race with Marc and Fabio.

"It w🦂as not just a couple of drops on the screens. I almost crashed in turn eight, and the track was slippery for four or five laps.

"So, he was brave enough to make the difference there, and then to maintain for the win. Congrats t🐻o him. He’s very fast here, we know it. He made the difference because to win with an advantage in MotoGP now is not easy, so he did a really good, strong race. "

Rookie team-mate Lorenzo⭕ Savadori crashed out of the Sachs🥂enring race.

Espargaro heads to this weekend's Assen round holding ninth in the world champi🌠onship.