HRC’s Marc Marquez was back to his hard-fighting best at Aragon on Sunday, delivering a MotorLand masterclass as he battled eventual winner Pecco Bagnaia from lights to flag.

The dramatic climax saw the pair inseparable as they fought throughout the full 5km layout, with Marquez repeatedly challenging the Ducati before ultimately settling for second at the line. No mean feat due to the Spaniard’s still far from perfect physical condition. Did he want more? Of course, but after a difficult weekend on the Repsol Honda and the disappointing conclusion to Silverstone, being back on the podium was a result he was willing to celebrate.

“Of course I'm happy about the second place,” he said after the dramatic duel. “Especially because we were coming with two crashes in a row, crash on Friday, crash on Saturday. Even I'm human and is difficult to approach a race to be fast and of course I don't want to do another mistake. Because this kind of opportunities and the feeling on the weekend with the bike was good and I don't know if I will have another opportunity in the future like this.

“I tried everything, I try from the beginning to follow Pecco, and I knew before, to give everything on the final attack, that he was riding very good. He was braking so late, stopping well the bike, and especially on acceleration side, he was really fast. I knew also that in the last lap, even that if I arrived in the back straight in front, he will overtake me but I try. I try everything.

“I give all what I had, and he did an incredible race so congrats Pecco! Extra motivation for us, difficult year for us but this kind of results, even like this, even riding with some difficulties, we are able to fight with the top guys.

“First of all I try to analyse where he was fast, and where his weak point but there was not any weak point,” Marquez continued, digging deeper into the race.

“In all the race track he was fast. You know I fight many times against Dovizioso, but Pecco was same as Dovizioso, but with more corner speed. So, I say 'Okay, where I can overtake?' I mean, I didn't find the place to overtake because he was braking later than me and stopping better the bike and accelerating better.

“Just I was a little bit faster on some brake points, on the left side especially, on the right side I was struggling a lot. I try but the problem is that where I try, I was a little bit on the limit. All the time I give up a little bit and he come back with a good speed. I hope that all the fans enjoyed the battle, was a great race. I didn't enjoy it a lot on the bike, I suffered more than I enjoyed but anyway, will be nice tonight, with a pizza, to watch again the race!

“I attack in turn one, turn five. The plan was trying to attack also turn seven but on the right corners, if you check a little bit, I never attack on right corners because I can't. I don't feel well, and I wasn't able to go in when I want. So I always attack on the left corners,” he explained further.

“The plan also was trying to attack on turn 15 but then I was thinking on the bike and I say 'I attack already two times there, and if for some reason he go in earlier, will be difficult to control the situation'. On turn 12 I attack only one time because it's so easy to do a mistake there and I did a mistake. I brake too late, as soon as the rear give up then I give up the line.

“To fight against Ducati, always, even if it's a good rider, like Pecco that today was riding incredible, but fight against Ducati is much more difficult than another bikes. They brake so late, they stop so well the bike, but especially they turn, and on acceleration side, if they have the grip and they control the rear tyre is incredible. Is something unreal when you are following them. But then they have another weak points, but today Pecco was able to manage that weak points.

“Is true that I was faster in flowing corners but in that corners if he don't do any mistake, I cannot overtake. We're trying to work for the future to improve there, is true that we have some strong points that we need to keep, and work on the weak points.”

Despite the impressive display throughout Sunday’s 23-lap race, Marquez is still suffering with his physical condition after the difficult surgery and lack of optimal strength. A sight plain to see during Saturday’s FP3 crash with the 28-year-old struggling to recover his Repsol from the gravel and walking away clutching his shoulder.

“Of course, this season is maybe the most difficult season of my career,” he admitted. "Is true is difficult about the physical side, about mental side, about many things, because the potential is there. We arrive in Portimao, with a low expectation, but I thought that the physical condition will come up faster than what is doing.

“Is true also that we are working a lot on the bike. As we see, we are struggling too much all Honda riders and in a racetrack that last year Nakagami and my brother were very fast. This year they struggle a lot because the other manufacturers improve the pace, and they are faster but we are riding still on the same lap times, and we need to continue working there. Let's see, I mean, is long, still we need five races to finish in a good way the 2021 season and prepare well 2022.

“It's like I explained before 2016, 17, 18, 19, I was able to have this extra push to find the limit in another way. Save with the elbows, many crashes. Always trying to be there on the limit and now I can't. And when you can't do something different, again, than your opponents are doing, then you become on his level, on a normal rider.

“Of course I'm fast in some tracks like here, in some tracks I struggle more, this is what means 'normal rider'. I mean fast rider but struggling in some tracks and some tracks fast. Of course, my main target is try to feel better in the future about physical condition and I know that when I will feel that extra, I will come back riding on my pace and on my way, but at the moment I can't. I'm following the good lines, I tried to ride well, but I don't have this extra, that for example this year Quartararo have or today, Pecco have. That extra in every racetrack.”