MotoGP News: Marc Marquez Reacts To Valentino Rossi's Attack About Controversial '15 Season

Saajan Jogia | Dec 15, 2024

Apr 13, 2024; Austin, TX, USA; Marc Marquez (93) of Spain and Gresini Racing MotoGP waves to the fans after the Americas Grand Prix sprint race at Circuit of The Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Marc Marquez has dismissed Valentino Rossi's recent claims accusing him of conspiring during the 2015 season, which saw Jorge Lorenzo narrowly clinch the championship over Rossi. Reflecting on his own journey, Marquez spoke about the difficult period with Honda, where a career-threatening injury nearly ended his MotoGP stint. He also shared how joining Gresini Ducati became a turning point, offering a renewed path for his return to the sport’s top level.

Rossi lost the 2015 championship to Lorenzo in a season marked by several controversial on-track battles with Marquez. To this day, Rossi continues to accuse Marquez of conspiring against him, attributing his championship loss to those actions and showing no signs of moving past the controversy. The Spaniard meanwhile, has finally reacted to Rossi's accusations, brushing them off by saying to Marca:

“Two can’t fight if one doesn't want to."

Marquez, however, chose to focus on his career at the time with Gresini, which was his only chance to get to the premier class's top team- Ducati. The stint at Gresini followed a challenging period at Honda, marked by a severe right arm injury at the 2020 MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix. After three surgeries and an uncertain comeback in 2021, struggles with the uncompetitive Honda RC213V ultimately led to his move to Ducati, opening a new chapter in his illustrious career. Revealing his experience during the challenging period, he said:

"When from one day to the next you experience the other side of sport, the bad one, it changes you without you looking for it.

“With the injury you enter a negative spiral and then you know what can happen.

“When you come back from injury and even with discomfort you see that it is not normal to win, that it is normal to be second, third or worse, because they win one and lose 20.

“That's why I enjoy the victory now much more than before.

"In this year's team I have found the perfect environment to be reborn, to be there without pressure, to have fun. Gresini is a passionate team, which belonged to Fausto and now is run by his wife with lifelong people and it is a satellite team. It mixes passion with professionalism.

"In sport you live in the present, you are worth what you have done in your last races, and I was just standing out, adapting to the Ducati, I was getting better and better.

“When they told me that I was the chosen one I didn't ask why, I just said 'okay, where do I sign?' and that's it.

“Gigi Dall’Igna told me and I reacted gratefully and I'm going to try to make it the right decision.”