Pol Espargaro had another difficult Friday on the Repsol Honda after suffering two crashes at the Sachsenring.

Ending the opening day of preparations 14th in the times, Espargaro was feeling the effects of his second, monster, crash on new tyres as he fired up the RC213V for a hot lap towards the end of the morning session.

“Yeah, I’m still alive which is good after the second one!” Espargaro said from the German paddock. “The first one was normal, I lose the front. Some riders also lose the front in that place as same as me so the track was not perfect in that place. So we were pushing, I was pushing and that’s why I crash.

“The second one was weird, you know losing the rear in that way. Just with a new tyre this is not normal. We don’t understand so good but at the end of the day is what happened and I need to take it.

“I have a little bit of pain in my ribs so I struggled to breathe completely and then I hyperventilate and then I get more tired so it’s not easy at all.

“Tomorrow morning, I think with some physio now, and some painkillers and anti inflammatories tomorrow morning it will be all okay.”

While his day was dented by the accidents, and the repairs needed for the bike, the team’s strategy to save certain parts for Saturday evaluation proved prophetic.

“We didn’t have enough spare parts so in case of crash - so luckily, I crash twice today - we think that it was a better choice to start with it tomorrow,” he said of the new swingarm. “So tomorrow we are going to put the bike that we finish in Barcelona. Let’s see if we can go in straightaway in the Q2.”