Pol Espargar൩o has claimed Honda 'is back' following an impressive podi🥀um finish at the Qatar MotoGP. 

Although he demonstrated good race pace throughout the 🌄weekend, Espargaro was not viewed as a favourite for the win head🐬ing into the 22-lap season opener. 

However, that’s exactly wha⛄t Espargaro provꦓed to be as he led the first 17 laps aboard his revolutionised 2022 RC213V. 

A first ever MotoGP win looked set to come the Repsol Honda rider’s way with about nine laꦯps to go as Espargaro led by nearly two seconds, but as was the case in 2021, a certain Enea Bastianini had stunning late race pace that in the end gave him the chance to come back at Espargaro and eve💃ntually take his first premier class victory. 

Disappointingly for Espargaro, the Spanish rider didn’t get the chance to fight Bastianini for the win as he made a mistake immediately after being passed - misjudged his speed in the Ducati rider’s slipstream which led to him getting his braking point all wrong at turn one, which also allowe❀d Brad Binder thro𒐪ugh to take second.

But de🙈spite the error, Espargaro is convinced he would not have taken the fight to Bastianini after suffering with rear locking during the final🌸 seven laps. 

Nevertheless, Espargaro feels his performance was more than enough to suggest he and Honda are here to stay in 202💮2.

Summing up his race, Esp🀅꧙argaro added: "I didn’t expect to be in the group with many guys with the same pace, like that we could save tyres because we were with the soft front, soft rear. 

"Also we could save some fuel as everyone is on the limit, but I led mostꦗ of the race and faced a different race than we planned. 

"I was pushing the tyre on it’s limit, pushing the engine on its limit. At the end, when it was s👍even laps to go I knew my tyres would be finished. 

"I started to lose the right side of the rear tyre on entry to the corners. Then the front started to lock. My riding style is qu𓆏ite based on the rear brake and the entry to try and take so♏me stress out of the front tyre. 

"As soon as I had to use the rear brake and it was locking then I knew it was done for me. Enea passed me and I caught his slipstream; my speed increased so much that I thought I woul💧d end up in the gravel but I could stop at the end of the track and just Brad [Binder] over๊took me. 

"But at the end I’m happy becau🌠𓆉se this is a clear message that Honda is back, not just with Marc [Marquez], but with me."