Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo completed a thrilling battle second at Misano on Sunday after recovering from the clutches of a Ducati mob to challenge in the San MarinoGP.

After a difficult weekend that saw the Monster Energy rider struggling in the mixed conditions, and a start which saw him fully surrounded by four Desmosedici’s, Quartararo regrouped in the closing stages thanks in no small part to his medium rear Michelin. Proud of his performance, the title favourite admits it took everything in the race-long battles.

“I think it's my best [race]”, Quartararo said from the Misano paddock. “To be honest, of course, a victory is totally different, but I think, is the first time that I'm that happy for this second place, not because of the championship but because I give everything.

“Also in the beginning with Jack, with Martin, I was fighting against them like if it was the last lap, and I overtake Jack in a place that I never expect to overtake someone. On the last lap, I was a little bit too far from Pecco, because turn four and five Pecco was much stronger than Jack and I wanted to overtake in turn six, but I was too far and I had quite a lot of spin. Then sector three, I told him that he was like a time attack, on the last lap of the race - the lean angle he had in turn 12, I say 'Okay, I think is the moment to keep calm!’ Was a really nice race and is the one that I enjoyed the most.

“Today, to be honest I had the three or four moments when I was close to be on the ground. One moment with Jack, went wide I go wide too, I lose totally the front, also Pecco take a big advantage. But yeah, many times when I was trying to follow Pecco - turn two, turn three, turn 13 - I was fully on the limit and honestly is like this, that I'm enjoying to ride. When I was catching a little bit Pecco the team were telling me every time, I was catching a little bit 2.7, 2.6, 2.3 and they motivate me. To catch Pecco was one thing, then to overtake was another story. He's really precise on his lines and I couldn't make nothing.”

This season, and especially in recent races, Quartararo has been flying the Yamaha flag almost completely on his own from the front of the field. Sunday saw Petronas riders Valentino Rossi and Andrea Dovizioso finish 17th and 21st respectively, with Franky Morbidelli completing his debut race on a factory M1, and first race back from knee surgery, in 18th. Leaving the Frenchman somewhat vulnerable and without support.

“I feel is true,” he commented “because you know in the beginning, when I saw Pecco leaving. I was fighting with Jack, fighting with Martin. I only see red!

"Was not easy because to overtake Yamaha, let's say Yamaha against Yamaha is one thing, we have more or less the same acceleration. But when you have different bikes - like I was catching Pecco in sector one and sector four, but as soon as I was behind in sector one, he was pulling away in sector two and sector three. Not only about the engine because turn 11, 12, 13 Pecco was much better than everyone and this is not about power. Was a little bit like going away, catching, going away, catching. Yes, it's true that maybe a little bit more support from Yamaha will be, not support technically, but by the riders. But let's see, we have some things to try in the test but yeah, we are struggling so much to overtake. Depends the corner, like corner five, six on the change direction is nice but these are corners where is normally not usual to overtake.”