How Marc Marquez ‘completely overshadowed’ Valentino Rossi’s retirement from MotoGP

Add as preferred source on Google

Valentino Rossi was the rider to beat in the early 2000s in MotoGP, claiming his seven titles between 2001 and 2009.

Winning three titles with Honda and four with Yamaha, he is widely regarded as one of, if not the greatest, motorcycle Grand Prix rider of all time. Rossi has the most wins in MotoGP history with 89.

After claiming his seventh title in 2009, the 46-year-old had an unsuccessful spell with Ducati before returning to Yamaha in 2013. It was that year that he would come face-to-face with a rider who would become a thorn in his side and his arch nemesis.

Marc Marquez debuted with Honda that season as a 20-year-old, fresh off winning the Moto2 title. Rossi was worried about Marquez after his debut in Qatar, with how close he was to him and other veterans; he had every reason to be.

The Spaniard would go on to become the youngest MotoGP champion in 2013, before winning another five titles between 2014 and 2019. It was clear that Marquez was establishing himself as one of the all-time greats, just as Rossi’s career was coming to an end.

Marc Marquez ‘completely overshadowed’ the end of the Valentino Rossi era in MotoGP due to his dominance

Rossi finished runner-up in 2014, 2015, and 2016, twice behind Marquez. The pair established a fierce rivalry during this period, one which is still felt to this day.

Rossi was furious with Marquez after the 2015 finale, when he and Neil Hodgson felt that he was protecting Jorge Lorenzo, who won the title that year. Rossi deeply regretted the final races of 2015, stating that he could have won the championship.

His three consecutive second-place finishes were the closest he got to winning another title, as he faded away with Yamaha before retiring at the end of 2021. It spelt the end of a truly incredible career, but journalist Simon Patterson described how Marquez ‘completely overshadowed’ that.

Speaking via The Race MotoGP YouTube channel, when asked if Marquez’s ‘monstrous’ talent was undervalued by the Rossi era, Valentin Khorounzhiy replied: “Not anymore, right?”

To which Patterson added: “Because he ended Rossi’s career. He just completely overshadowed the end of the Rossi era. The end of the Rossi era kind of faded out slowly because it became the Marc Marquez era.

“And also, if he wins the title this year, I’ve said this before, it’ll be the greatest comeback in motorsport history since Niki Lauda. It’s going to redefine everything about Marc Marquez again from a wider sporting perspective.

“So no, I don’t think that Valentino took anything away from the Marc Marquez career.”

“I don’t think he cares about being loved the way that Valentino did. What matters more? The kind of Rossi fans liking you, or the universal acceptance from other athletes of his level that he’s the greatest of all time. When you see people like Federer boasting about Marc’s successes, that’s cool.”

READ MORE: Everything to know about Marc Marquez from net worth to girlfriend

The Valentino Rossi records that Marc Marquez can break in MotoGP with Ducati

With Rossi now competing in sports cars – a path that Marquez will not follow after retirement – his rival is looking to dethrone him in the MotoGP record books.

Marquez can beat Rossi’s all-time win record by next year at the earliest. He needs just 20 more wins to dethrone his nemesis, as well as seven more fastest laps to beat another one of his records.

Giacomo Agostini thinks Rossi is inadvertently helping Marquez in 2025, as he sees the Italian as extra motivation for him to equal his nine motorcycle Grand Prix titles. Ironically, the pair both have connections to Ducati, with Marquez riding for them and Rossi owning the VR46 team.

Marquez is not bothered by equalling Rossi’s records, but is instead focused on his comeback from injury, having struggled since 2020 after his crash at Jerez. As his seventh MotoGP title nears, Rossi’s entourage is worried about Marquez’s form and the prospect of his records being broken.