Marc Marquez rejects Valentino Rossi motivation theory ahead of tenth title
Rossi and Marquez's rivalry still dominates the sport (Apex Agency)
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.
Marc Marquez has dismissed claims that he’s still motivated by former rival Valentino Rossi.
The Spaniard is set to surpass his old Italian foe with a tenth world championship this season, which he’s expected to wrap up in the final three races.
The success will eclipse Rossi’s legendary record, and also put him on eight premier-class titles, a joint-record with Giacomo Agostini.
Marquez went on a five-year injury-hit run without a title from 2020 to 2024, during which time Rossi retired from the sport in 2021.
Their bitter 2015 feud, which resulted in an on-track collision, continues to dominate the sport, and many Italians still haven’t forgiven Marquez.
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Yet despite the endless pressure, Marquez came back to equal Rossi’s total with Ducati last year, and will surely overtake him this season.
One of his former rivals turned friend and rider coach Fonsi Nieto, said that the desire to surpass Rossi is what has kept Marquez going through his injury hell.
However, in an interview with AS, the 33-year-old has said it’s those injuries that have in fact helped him move past the Rossi drama and focus on the bigger picture.
Marc Marquez responds to Valentino Rossi motivation theory
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He explained: "Well, I understand how he feels... I really do. If someone had said that to me in 2019, I would have said, 'No, no, I want to win even more!'
“At that time, I had just achieved four consecutive victories and was 26 years old, already having won six (MotoGP titles). So, I would’ve agreed with (Nieto's opinion).”
But Marquez then divulged how recent events have changed his outlook.
Marquez explained how his and his brother's injuries have changed his outlook (Photo: Red Bull Content Pool)
He continued: “A lot has happened between 2020 and 2023... and I've come to realise that there's something like destiny at play for athletes.
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“Not just luck or misfortune, but a kind of innate destiny... that is, each athlete has a kind of destiny that determines what kind of career they will have. For example, if a certain soccer player hadn't suffered a knee injury... Nobody knows if I could have done better, right?
“I've had a dream career, but one day I suddenly realised that 'we're all just human beings’. Until then, I'd never even considered the dangers that come with motorcycle racing.
“I'd seen my teammates get injured, but it didn't really sink in until I got injured myself. This year, my brother got injured in Barcelona, so it really hit home.
“As a result of realising that, I've come to care much more about the careers and lives of the athletes.”
Marquez insists tenth world title will not change his outlook
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He finished: “That's why winning another title after my injury became so important...it really, really was important.
“Winning my ninth title means that when the time comes to retire, I'll be able to accept it calmly. Whether I win another title or not, my feelings won't change...and neither will I."
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