Valentino Rossi’s infamous rivalry with Marc Marquez revealed a side of the MotoGP legend that fans rarely saw, according to former rider Scott Redding.
Their fierce clashes—especially in the 2015 season—remain one of MotoGP’s most controversial storylines. Today, the tension between them still lingers, especially with Marquez now sharing a garage with Rossi’s protégé, Pecco Bagnaia, at the factory Ducati team.
Speaking on the Motorsport Republica podcast, Redding reflected on the dramatic fallout between Rossi and Marquez, highlighting Rossi’s influence over fans as both a strength and a source of contention.
“Rossi was incredibly good at controlling the fans,” Redding said. “That’s why he became such a huge name in the sport—because he had personality. Whether good or bad, he knew how to use it.”
But Redding didn’t hold back in criticizing Rossi’s role in escalating fan hostility toward Marquez:
“When things got heated with Marc, and [Rossi] turned the fans against him, that was wrong. Marc had people showing up at his house… that shouldn’t happen. Rossi could have stopped it. People may not agree, but it showed his bad side.”
The animosity between Rossi and Marquez led to widespread booing of the Spaniard—even in recent years. Redding praised Bagnaia for calling out that behavior at Misano in 2024, when he urged fans not to boo his rival on the podium.
Having raced alongside both Rossi and Marquez, Redding also reminisced about a grittier era of MotoGP when rivalries were deeply personal and less polished.
“The end of that era was Rossi vs. Marquez,” Redding said. “But Rossi vs. Sete Gibernau? That was real racing—it was f****** personal.”
He contrasted that with the current landscape in MotoGP, which he feels has become too friendly.
“These days, riders train together, eat together… I didn’t even have friends in the paddock. I always saw racing as going to war. It was hard for me to take the helmet off and be friendly.”
Redding lamented how the sport now discourages raw emotion:
“Now if you flip someone off or say something a bit harsh, you get fined. That’s just where the sport is going—you’re expected to be nice.”
Despite the changes, the echoes of old rivalries still resonate, especially with Marquez chasing a ninth world title—equaling Rossi’s tally—in the same team as his former rival’s heir apparent.
