Spain's Pol Espargaro had declared that KTM are 'in the game' after he was able to remain in the podium fight at last weekend's Jerez MotoGP.

The works rider, who leaves KTM for a seat at Repsol Honda in 2021, stated he was faster than Andrea Dovizoso last Sunday but couldn't make a pass stick because of a speed deficit to the Ducati.

But it bodes well for this weekend when the grid reforms for Jerez #2.

"Here we are in the level of the others, or even faster. I felt that if I could be alone, I would ride two, three, even sometimes four tenths faster, and we were riding in 1'39.1s, 2s, 3s, while I could be riding in 1'38.7s, 8s in that rhythm," said Espargaro.

“So, in one stage I felt faster than them. Also, good news is that all the riders were going fast. Brad is going very fast,  Miguel and Iker as well.

“All of us, the four KTMs on the in grid are powerful and strong, especially on race pace. We're looking forward and we're in the game now.

There was very little to choose between the KTM and work Ducati in terms of top speed- 292.6 v 291.8 - with Espargaro admitting the Ducati gets out of turns that little bit better.

“Just we are losing on the straight against Ducati. I promise you, we are faster on brakes, we are faster entering the corner, we are faster in the corner speed - just they have traction maybe a little bit better, but just the top speed.

“Dovizioso was slower than us. I'm not saying that to look good, but this was the truth. I tried to overtake him because I felt faster than him, but he would overtake me back in the straight. It's the only place they were faster than me.

"The rest I could fight against, and my rhythm was faster today. I was giving away sometimes - by doing a mistake, going wide - six tenths and in four or five, six corners I was already two tenths.

“So, honestly, I felt faster than them, but just I couldn't overtake him. This is part of racing as well. I was not good enough to, or we were not good enough to, cut back on the Ducati.”