Marc Marquez revealed he made a last-minute decision to switch to Michelin’s medium rear tyre, which ultimately proved decisive in his victory in MotoGP’s San Marino Grand Prix sprint.

While 15 of the 21 riders opted for the soft compound on Saturday, citing low tyre degradation at Misano, Marquez was among the minority to race with the medium in the sprint.

This strategy put him at odds with polesitter Marco Bezzecchi, who remained on the soft tyre even as his own Aprilia team-mate Jorge Martin switched to the medium rubber.

In theory, Bezzecchi’s soft rear tyre should have given him an advantage off the line,