MotoGP 2015: Rossi Angry with Marquez

Pressure is building on and off the track as the MotoGP circus gets ready for another epic battle in Malaysia this weekend. With two races to go and 11 points to defend, Valentino Rossi has his first chance to claim the title at Sepang, where he has six victories. Yamaha teammates Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo are ready to fight on the track, but on the eve of the Malaysian GP, it has become clear that the key figure this weekend will be Marc Marquez.

“From Phillip Island, it’s clear that Jorge has a new fan,” said Rossi very openly at Sepang’s pre-event press conference. “Marc has played with us, doing everything in Lorenzo’s advantage. During the race I didn’t realize it immediately, but I saw the race many times and the whole picture was absolutely clear.”

With the Honda rider sitting only few centimeters away, Rossi continued speaking against his former friend (but have they ever really been friends? Personally, I have always doubted it): “The Australian GP was really interesting, with many top riders fighting and 50 passes . But if the race was so hard fought, we need to ask Marc Marquez. He was playing with us a lot. His goal was helping Lorenzo to escape and take as many points as possible from me!”

Marquez, visibly embarrassed, replied: “I did my race. I don’t know why Rossi is saying this. I did an incredible last lap. I can help my teammate, not Jorge Lorenzo.”

With lap times from the Australian race in his hands, Rossi was even more critical of Marquez with the Italian media: “It’s important that he knows that I am aware of his game. Now let’s see what will happen; I’m quite worried. One thing is to fight on equal terms with Jorge, another is to beat Marquez, too. In Australia, he didn’t race with the fair play that a professional rider like him should have in these situations. I was really disappointed by his behavior. I’m really sorry. Some GPs ago, I realized that Marc was not playing fairly. But I didn’t expect that he could take such a clear position and race like that. If he did in Phillip Island, he will try to do it again at Sepang and Valencia.”

In the end at Phillip Island, Marquez also beat Lorenzo, but Rossi has an explanation also for this. “If we analyze the lap times of the race, we see that Marquez had the fastest pace, but he played with us to let Lorenzo take the lead and escape, keeping me busy to fight with Iannone. Maybe he was hoping that Pedrosa, Crutchlow and Vinales would catch us and could be in between. He knew that the Ducati was faster than me on the straight. Every time he tried to pass me, he passed me again very aggressively. But then he slowed down so that Jorge could increase the gap. He did it to me three times clearly, but also on many other occasions. Jorge was not so strong at Phillip Island, so Marc managed the whole race, as he knew that in three laps he could catch Lorenzo and take the lead. In the end he made it. Well done! But his lucid strategy is scary.”

Continued Rossi: “Why does Marc prefer that the world title goes to Lorenzo? Because he is angry with me. It’s a personal matter following the incident in Argentina. He never said it, but he believes that I touched him on purpose. Then there was Assen, with the overtaking at the last chicane: In his head, I should have disappeared or let him beat me. He screwed up his season and now he behaves like a kid: ‘I don’t win but I don’t want Rossi to win.’  When he is faster, he overtakes me and then he stays in between, even when it’s not necessary. In this way it becomes really difficult because he has nothing to lose. But  for me it’s another story. I’m really sorry and this situation makes me angry. I had never thought that Marquez could have been an obstacle. I hoped it was a story between me and Lorenzo, as it should be.”

Rossi feels betrayed by someone who insists he is a fan. Rossi: “Is it true that he’s been my fan? Is it true that he had a poster with me in his bedroom? I would like to check. I believe that Marc wants to beat my record of victories as well as my number of world titles. If I win another title, he needs to fight more to equal me.”

Rossi also looked at the past: “I remember Laguna Seca in 2013. Marquez wanted to overtake me exactly where I had passed Casey Stoner five years before. He could have easily passed me on another turn of the track. This was already a warning and some people told me, but I didn’t want to believe it!”

Marquez answered Rossi’s attacks: “I don’t know why he says this. I won and if someone helped Lorenzo, it was Iannone. I did my race and I always try to win. Rossi is the master in putting pressure on the others, but he needs to beat Jorge. I’m really surprised. Rossi has always been my reference and I have learned a lot from him. I’m out of the fight for the title so I will learn from Valentino and Jorge how they will manage the situation.”

The fight is on, and Rossi will have to worry about two rivals, not one, on Sunday, when he has the first chance to claim the title: “It’s my first chance, but this puts maybe some extra pressure on Lorenzo. Jorge will have to finish in front of me to reduce the gap. But in the end, nothing changes: You have to give the maximum also in the free practices to prepare for the race in the best possible way. In the past, especially in 2009, we had some ups and downs and both myself and Lorenzo made several mistakes. This year, we have been fast and consistent so the level is really high. I like Sepang very much, but it’s the most demanding circuit. It pushes the machines and the body of the rider to the limit.”