Marc Marquez once idolised Valentino Rossi, even posing with him as a child and collecting his memorabilia. That admiration eventually turned into a friendship, but it wouldn’t last. Their relationship famously collapsed into one of MotoGP’s most intense rivalries.
After rising through Moto3 and Moto2, Marquez joined MotoGP in 2013 and quickly became a title contender, winning the championship in his rookie season and dominating in 2014. While the racing was competitive, mutual respect appeared intact—until 2015.
That year, Rossi was in pursuit of his 10th world title. But when Marquez beat Jorge Lorenzo in Australia, only to engage in aggressive battles with Rossi in Malaysia, tensions exploded. Rossi accused Marquez of deliberately helping Lorenzo. During the Sepang GP, Rossi and Marquez clashed, leading to contact that saw Marquez crash and Rossi penalised to start the final race from the back of the grid. Lorenzo went on to win the title.
Their Argentina collisions in both 2015 and 2018 further worsened the feud. In the latter, Marquez caused Rossi to crash during an overly aggressive charge through the field, resulting in a time penalty. Rossi later said Marquez had “destroyed the sport” with his lack of respect.
A handshake rejection at Misano in 2018 during a press conference became symbolic of their broken relationship. Despite repeated claims from Marquez that the incidents were accidental, the rivalry was never repaired.
The legacy of their clashes remains a defining chapter in modern MotoGP history.
