Espargaro says following Marquez caused British GP qualifying crash

The KTM rider made it into Q2 directly from the combined free practice classification, and with one run in the bag already he decided to take risks to follow Marquez's Honda, but fell at Brooklands before he was able to start his flying lap.

"We did a good lap on the first run, then I wanted to risk, and I wanted to see the limit," said Espargaro, who will line up 11th for the British Grand Prix.

"I exited from the pits - I don't know if this is good or bad - but I found Marquez.

"So I said 'let's try to follow him'. I wanted to attack close to him because I knew after the first sector he is going to escape because we struggle a bit in sector two.

"[At Brooklands] it was a little bit bumpy, the front wheel had not the correct temperature because it was the outlap - it was my fault.

"I was overpushing on the outlap to try to follow Marc, but I wanted to try.

"I wanted to do a good [2m]00. The ambition was too high today."

Espargaro said crashing was a part of making progress with KTM, which is gradually becoming more competitive in its first season in the top class.

"It would be interesting to finish the lap just for me to understand what I can do, to understand where my limit is, but we couldn't," he said.

"Every time I crash, I learn, every time I finish a lap on the limit, I learn.

"I crashed today, but I know a bit better the bike [as a result], and I can find the limit a bit deeper.

"Sometimes I crash, but this is the job. You are always trying to improve, and for us the difference to the start of the season is huge."