Marquez refuses to name Rossi as his biggest MotoGP rival

Marquez, who currently sits as Ducati's reigning MotoGP world champion, will have the chance to surpass Rossi's seven premier class titles if he manages to win in 2027 - a record which will put him level with Giacomo Agostini.

Strangely enough, it wasn't Rossi who Marc claimed as his biggest rival, even despite the numerous aggressive incidents between the two such as Sepang 2015 and Argentina 2018.

Instead, Marquez decided to name Jorge Lorenzo as the biggest rival in his career when asked during a quick-fire round of questions on the show Radioestadio Noche.

While Lorenzo might not quite have the legendary status of Rossi and Marquez, his achievements in the premier class are still undeniable. Three world titles in the most competitive field the sport has ever seen, against the likes of Stoner, Pedrosa, Doviziosio, Hayden and of course, Marquez and Rossi.

There was certainly some incredible racing between Marquez and Lorenzo, but a lot less visible vitriol as there was between him and Rossi. However, veteran MotoGP journalist and paddock insider Mat Oxley (author of Stealing Speed and The Fast Stuff) has insisted that the pair 'despise each other'.

Speaking on his MotoGP broadcast at the conclusion of the 2026 Thai Grand Prix, Oxley offered the following assessment:

"The whole thing that Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo loved each other to screw over Valentino Rossi. No, they f—— despise each other. They really do." Je said, referring to the 2015 season,"

"You think of Mick Doohan and Wayne Gardner, Eddie Lawson and Kevin Schwantz, there’s that whole sort of hometown… everybody wants to be the hometown hero, right?"

"And therefore you hate the guy that’s trying to be the hometown hero instead of you. But it certainly adds a sort of extra kind of spiciness to the whole thing."

Though retired, Lorenzo is still active in the MotoGP paddock and is currently working as a rider coach for KTM's Maverick Vinales. Unfortunately, the fruits of the business partnership have yet to show any fruits, with many believing it to be more of a PR stunt than anything else.