Valentino Rossi has revealed the riders he considers his greatest rivals in MotoGP but pointedly left Marc Marquez off the list during an event in Indonesia ahead of this weekend’s Mandalika round.
Rossi, who retired from MotoGP in 2021 with seven premier-class titles, named Casey Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo, Max Biaggi, and Dani Pedrosa as the main challengers of his career. Among them, he highlighted Lorenzo as perhaps the toughest due to their years as Yamaha teammates, describing the rivalry as “like a love story.”
The omission of Marquez is notable, as the Spaniard recently equalled Rossi’s record of seven MotoGP and nine overall world titles by securing the 2025 championship in Japan. Despite their fierce on-track battles, the relationship between Rossi and Marquez collapsed in 2015 after a controversial clash, and it has never fully recovered.
Meanwhile, Rossi’s bond with Stoner has grown stronger in recent years, with the Australian frequently visiting the VR46 Ranch and even advising Rossi’s Academy riders, including Pecco Bagnaia.
Rossi has since shifted his competitive focus to car racing, competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship with BMW, where he recently finished fourth at the Fuji 6 Hours.
