The double winner at Catalunya cut a frustrated figure when he rapidl🦋y closed in on Vinales who was trying to clean his tyres after running off circuit at tur🌄n one.

After going top of the standings, Vinale🌊s proceeded to miss his braking for th😼e right-hander, which resulted in him going through the gravel. 

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When he came back on circuit Vinales was seen weaving from l▨eft to right which caught out Espargaro who was fast approaching. 

Asked if more could have been done from Vinales’ side to avoid the near-collision, Esಌpargaro told MotoGP.com: "Yes I think, when he went off track he was cleaning the tyres in the middle of the line and it would have been better to stay more on the curbs or to cross the track and go to the outside. 

"But he didn’t do it on purpose. I was coming in hot because it was my first soft rear tyre but it was just a racing inci🎶dent."

Although Vinales later apologised, the Spaniard didn’t feel as though he could have done anything 🐼differently.

"I went wide and I didn’t want to put the bike on the red [curbs] so I just went on the t🔯rack,"&n🍌bsp;stated Vinales. 

"There were yellow flags, I think. I’m sorry for my teammate but in this momen🐼t I couldn’t do anything else."

In terms of pace, Espargaro looks liꦰke one of the favourites heading into Saturday’s qualifying and sprint, after spending much of Practice two in the top three.

Confident that the Buddh International Circuit willಞ continue to suit the RS-GP23 bike, Espargaro added: "I think it is going to be 🧜good. Our bike is good here because there is not a lot of grip. 

"We ha🥂ve to improve in the tight cor🐬ners like [turn] one, three and the last corner. But overall the bike works quite well."