Neil Hodgson explained why Valentino Rossi was right about ‘unbelievable’ Marc Marquez during bitter 2015 season

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The 2015 MotoGP season is seen as the flashpoint in the heated rivalry between Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez, with one incident towards the end of the season leaving Neil Hodgson ‘shocked’ with what he had seen.

Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi were neck and neck for the majority of the 2015 MotoGP season, culminating in a relationship which was filled with ‘total tension’ between the two world champions.

Lorenzo ended up victorious at the end of the 2015 season, pipping Rossi to the title by just five points. However, the Italian MotoGP legend was unhappy about the circumstances in which it was won, accusing Marc Marquez of helping his Spanish compatriot beat him to the title in the final few rounds.

Adding to his feat in 2015, Lorenzo identified the fact that he is the only rider to beat every other member of the ‘fantastic five’, the name of a group consisting of Rossi, Marquez, Lorenzo, Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa.

Neil Hodgson was in disbelief of Marc Marquez’s actions in the 2015 Valencian Grand Prix

Speaking on BT Sport’s (now TNT Sports) coverage after the chequered flag of the 2015 season-closer in Valencia, Neil Hodgson expressed his utter shock at what he had witnessed Marquez do in the closing stages of the race.

“The most aggressive rider I’ve ever seen ride a motorcycle is Marc Marquez,” Hodgson started. “How many overtaking manoeuvres did he make on Jorge Lorenzo: [zero].

“The only aggressive overtaking manoeuvre he made was on his teammate. It’s unbelievable, actually. I feel like he rode like he was totally protecting Jorge Lorenzo. The Yamaha had an advantage in the corners. Marc Marquez went into that last corner, where he was strong, directly behind.

“He didn’t even dive to the inside to push him wide. I am actually a little bit shocked with what I’ve seen. It was like he was defending him. I felt like Marquez was defending Lorenzo, I can’t believe I’m saying that.”

Valentino Rossi was furious with Marc Marquez after Jorge Lorenzo snatched the 2015 MotoGP championship

Speaking after the race in Valencia, Rossi didn’t hold back on his ire with Marquez, stating via Autosport, “The race was quite embarrassing. The last lap was, I think, quite bad for all the sport. I was ready to lose the championship to Jorge, who is always very fast, on the track. But in this way it’s not fair.”

“I think this championship had the potential to become one of the best of the last years because the battle with Jorge could go to the last point of the last race.

“But unfortunately, in the last three races, something changed, something happened that nobody expected.

“That is that Marc Marquez decided to protect Lorenzo and help him win the championship. The problem started at Phillip Island, and the situation became worse and worse.”

The situation certainly did become worse. Rossi’s ‘disappointment’ with Marquez at Phillip Island is seen as the catalyst for his infamous kick out at the Spaniard at the following race in Sepang.

Rossi recently stated that the ‘final races’ of the 2015 MotoGP season are still categorised as the ‘biggest regret’ of his illustrious career in the sport.

Following his triumph in 2015, Lorenzo predicted that Rossi wouldn’t become a MotoGP champion again, a foresight which ended up ringing true following the Italian’s retirement at the end of the 2021 season.