Jorge Lorenzo excludes Valentino Rossi from Marc Marquez GOAT debate
Marquez will soon pass Rossi (Credit: Apex Agency)
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Connor Andrews is Formula 1 and MotoGP writer for GPblog and various outlets. Having worked in motorsport for 15 years for leading companies, he has interviewed the sports biggest names and attended multiple Grands Prix.
MotoGP legend Jorge Lorenzo has made a telling omission from the ‘GOAT’ debate.
The five-time world champion has raced against some of the best of all time, but in his view, Valentino Rossi is no longer part of the conversation.
Lorenzo’s former rival, Marc Marquez, will almost certainly surpass Rossi’s number of titles next time out in Portugal, leapfrogging the Italian into third in the overall list, and joint first in premier titles.
As such, Lorenzo says the debate is only between Marquez and the other man on eight top flight titles - Giacomo Agostini.
Lorenzo excludes Rossi from Marquez and Agostini GOAT debate
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Asked about Marquez’s legacy amid his imminent coronation, Lorenzo told TNT Sports: “I think it will generate a real debate about whether Marquez or Agostini are the best of all time.
“For me, if he wins this tenth world title, he will undoubtedly be the best in the modern era. Rossi doesn't join them at that table.”
He added: "I think Marc was stronger last year, before the Mandalika injury. That crash weakened him physically, and this year he's had difficulty maintaining his form, but he's compensated for everything with pure technique.
“For me, in terms of technique and riding, he's the best in history.”
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If and when Marquez takes his title, he will surpass Rossi, with the pair currently possessing an identical championship record.
They both have nine titles overall, with seven in MotoGP, while Agostini has 15 overall, with eight in the premier class.
Lorenzo has had outspoken rivalries with both Rossi and Marquez during his legendary career, while he partnered both as a teammate.
Rossi's bitter 2015 rivalry with Marquez resurfaces
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He also topped the pair in 2015 for his fifth world title, and third in MotoGP, while they were squabbling on and off track.
Lorenzo clinched that championship in the season finale after Rossi was sent to the back of the grid for a crash with Marquez in the previous round.
The incident was one of the defining moments in motorcycle racing, and Rossi admitted this week that it still bothers him today.
During a TV interview, he said: "Everyone has their limits, some lower and some higher, but unfortunately, the 2015 story is even more absurd and infuriating because, in reality, Marquez wasn't fighting for the championship.
“He was only fighting to make me lose. And in the end, he succeeded. That's something that doesn't go away, something that still stings.
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“More than ten years have passed, but my state of mind when I think about it is the same as that night in Valencia. That worries me a little.
“Many times I look in the mirror and tell myself: 'Come on, let's not focus on the only World Cup we lost, but on all the others.' But that's how it is; that's sport. What you lose hurts much more than what you win."
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