ROSSI SAYS HE WARNED MARQUEZ THE 2015 SEPANG CLASH WOULD HAUNT HIM

Valentino Rossi has revisited his 2015 clash with Marc Marquez at Sepang in his new book, My Story, recalling a pointed exchange in the stewards’ room after the collision ended Marquez’s race.

The incident came amid Rossi’s accusation that Marquez was trying to undermine his championship bid in favour of fellow Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo. Rossi told officials that the Honda rider’s brake lever caught his left leg and knocked it off the footrest. Marquez, meanwhile, accused Rossi of deliberately kicking him.

Rossi writes that Marquez had “such an oversized ego that he wanted to decide the fate of a championship that no longer concerned him”. He also recalls telling him: “You’re making a fool of yourself that will follow you for your entire career.”

The stewards awarded Rossi three penalty points, sending him to the back of the grid for the Valencia title decider. That setback effectively gave Yamaha teammate Lorenzo the advantage in the championship, which he went on to win. Rossi has said while promoting the book that he remains unable to make peace with losing the 2015 title, which would have been his eighth premier-class crown.

The dispute has continued to shape the pair’s relationship and MotoGP’s public response more than a decade later. Rossi retired at the end of 2021 but still visits the paddock as VR46 team boss; he and Marquez reportedly try to avoid one another. Marquez has also faced hostile reactions from fans, including boos at Mugello while riding for Ducati and cheers from some spectators after a race-ending crash in the Misano Sprint. MotoGP marked the Sepang clash’s 10th anniversary with a documentary last autumn.

The timing of Rossi’s account is notable: Marquez is nearing the point of surpassing him as the most successful rider of the modern era, and would become world champion if he wins the Sprint in Portugal.