Enea Bas𒐪tianini says he “pushed like never” to ensure he beat Marc Marquez in their battle for second in the MotoGP J൲apanese Grand Prix sprint.

The factory Ducati rider made a good launch frღom fourth on the g🎀rid to move up to second at Turn 1, though was soon overtaken by Tech3’s Pedro Acosta.

Bastianini found himself locked in a heated batไtle with Gresini Ducati’s Marquez in the last laps over second after Acosta crashed out of the lead, with the pair swapping positions at Turns 9, 10 and 11 on the 🃏penultimate tour.

Marquez ultimat♕ely had to conceded defeat, while a slow last lap for Bagnaia meant Bastianini was only 0.181s away from victory.

“Has been a nice fight today,” Bastianini tolꦺd T♊NT Sport.

“I wasn’t confident to do a ൩great race like I did today.

“Well, ✱it’s improving my pace because on the time attack I was good but for the pace it was so and so.

“Then in the end arrived this fight in the last two laps with Marc. I commit a small mist♑ake at Turn 9 and Marc entered.

“We arrived very cꦰlose together at Turn 11, he released the brake a bit - me too. And again another time.

“But in the end I was in a betteꦰr line and I pushed all the last lap like ne💯ver and I won this fight. Second place is good.”

Bastianini’s runner-up spo🥂t in the sprint has kept him in third in the standings, five points c🐼lear of Marquez.

But their fight to complete the championship top t𒐪hree is not something that Bastianini is thinking about ahead of Sunday’s grand prix.

“Every time it’s important to fight and 🐲usually I don’t check anything on the classification,” he added.

“I have only my objไective inside my mi🐷nd and it’s always to arrive on top.

“Tomorrow we have to adjust a bit the set-up because at♔ the end my rear tyre, especially on the right side, was destroyed.

“And tomorrow the race will probably be with the m♛edium. So, we have to check🐽 the data to do it again.”