Davide Tardozzi is praying for Valentino Rossi to do one thing to end Marc Marquez feud

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Marc Marquez’s clean sweep at the Italian Grand Prix weekend was somewhat marred by the crowd’s hostile reception. The rivalry with Valentino Rossi lives on, four years after The Doctor’s retirement.

Marquez was audibly whistled by sections of the crowd after winning the Sprint race last Saturday. His brother Alex, runner-up in both events, also came under fire.

Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi was seen furiously gesturing to the crowd to stop. He pointed out, to no avail, that Marquez was representing an Italian team.

Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Tardozzi admitted that some fans still felt bitter over the conclusion to the 2015 season. Rossi lost out to Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo by just five points that year.

Under the impression that Marquez was helping his fellow Spaniard, an incensed Rossi appeared to kick out during a battle at the Malaysian GP. He had to start the season finale in Valencia from the back of the grid, allowing Lorenzo to snatch the title.

Davide Tardozzi thinks Marc Marquez is ready to make peace with Valentino Rossi

Tardozzi says there are important details MotoGP fans don’t know about the 2015 fallout. He feels for Rossi, who ‘deserved’ a 10th world championship, but apportions him 50% of the blame.

He’s bitterly disappointed that two ‘icons’ of the sport remain entirely estranged. In an interview before last weekend’s race, Marquez confirmed he’d had no further contact with Rossi.

Tardozzi suspects that Marquez would be ‘available’ to make peace if Rossi gave him a ‘signal’. And he believes an armistice would be in the interests of the sport.

Asked if all the animosity stems from 2015, he said: “Absolutely yes. “Events that everyone only knows partially, however. We know how it went in Sepang, but there is much more behind it that is not public knowledge, and in part it did not even depend on the two riders.

“Having said that, in my opinion, the blame was 50 and 50. What matters after 10 years is that Vale and Marc are two icons of motorcycling, and should be adored by everyone. That two champions like this do not speak to each other, as a lover of motorcycling, is a shame.

“Because they could do things together and send positive messages to help our sport grow. I understand Valentino’s bitterness, who with that penalty lost the tenth World Championship that he deserved, but I think we should know how to look forward.

“I dream that Vale gives a signal to try to clarify, because I think Marc would be available. It’s just my feeling, I’ve never spoken about it with him.”

Marc Marquez tried to play down Valentino Rossi feud before Mugello – it didn’t work

Scott Redding reckons that Rossi ‘could have stopped’ his fans turning on Marquez. Instead, he saw the ‘bad side’ of the Italian legend.

VR46 academy graduate Francesco Bagnaia has tried to silence the boos directed at Marquez on more than one occasion. Redding felt this was the correct thing to do.

In the pre-Mugello press conference last Thursday, Marquez played down the incentive of equalling Rossi. They will be level on seven MotoGP titles if, as expected, he prevails this year.

But that diplomatic tone wasn’t enough to get the fans on side, nor were his Ducati overalls. Marquez is now 32, so there may not be a resolution before the end of his career.