Marc Marquez reacts as Valentino Rossi leaves him off main MotoGP rivals list

Marc Marquez has explained why he thinks Valentino Rossi didn’t include him among his biggest rivals, stating that they never fought against each other for a MotoGP title.

Earlier this week, nine-time world champion Rossi revealed the main opponents he faced during his illustrious career in MotoGP, but he conspicuously left out long-time foe Marquez.

“I had a lot of great rivals in my career and I think it’s between [Casey] Stoner and [Jorge] Lorenzo and [Max] Biaggi and [Dani] Pedrosa,” he said at an event in Jakarta ahead of the Indonesian Grand Prix.

“It’s difficult to say the bigger one. Maybe Lorenzo because we were in the same team and we were team-mates for a long time. So, it was not just a rivalry - it was like a love story.”

Valentino Rossi, VR46 Racing Team livery presentation

Photo by: Media VR46

Rossi and Marquez shared the grid between 2013 and 2021, but their relationship broke down spectacularly after Rossi accused Marquez of sabotaging his 2015 title bid to assist the other factory Yamaha of Lorenzo.

Even after the Italian's retirement from two-wheel competition, the pair have not mended ways, and their rift has remained one of MotoGP’s defining storylines.

Marquez drew level with Rossi after winning his seventh premier-class title and ninth world championship in Japan last weekend, cementing his place among the greatest riders in motorcycle racing history.

Asked why he was not on Rossi’s list, the Ducati rider said: “Because we never fight for a championship.”

When told he won six titles while Rossi was competing against him, Marquez added: “No, no, not in that way. 

“It's just when I arrived there, my biggest opponent, for example, one year was Lorenzo. And then I jumped to [Andrea] Dovizioso.”