Valentino Rossi realised he had to change when he saw a young Marc Marquez do one thing on the bike

Add as preferred source on Google

Valentino Rossi was already a seven-time premier-class champion when Marc Marquez made his MotoGP debut in 2013. He’d just turned 34 and faced a formidable new 20-year-old opponent.

Rossi won another 10 races following Marquez’s arrival, but didn’t manage another championship. He came closest in 2015, explosively falling out with the Spaniard after accusing him of helping Jorge Lorenzo.

The Doctor was also the runner-up to Marquez in 2014, when the Honda rider won the first 10 races, and 2016, when he was left to rue a number of errors and a decline in form from Yamaha.

Speaking to DAZN, Alex Criville explained that Rossi had to change his riding style in response to the arrival of Marquez. Criville saw the Italian make his debut in 2000 shortly before his retirement.

Alex Criville says Valentino Rossi had to start leaning more when Marc Marquez arrived

Marquez is known for his aggressive riding style, one that caught Rossi off guard back in 2013. He ‘realised’ he wouldn’t ‘keep up’ unless he adapted.

Criville noticed that Rossi started braking later and emulating Marquez’s ‘elbow-on-the-ground style’. He commended the Yamaha legend for adapting at a late stage of his career.

Marquez will supplant Rossi as MotoGP’s oldest champion if/when he seals the 2025 world championship. At 32, he’s two years older than rider #46 was in 2009.

• READ MORE: Valentino Rossi must act as ‘eyewitness reports’ reveal ‘physical altercations’ after Marc Marquez crash

“Marquez arrives with his elbow-on-the-ground style,” Criville said. “Suddenly, Marc starts looking for the asphalt with his elbow, and that’s when Rossi realises that if he doesn’t change, he won’t be able to keep up with them

“Valentino had to introduce a change, start braking harder, lean the bike more – previously at 57 degrees, now at 60 – with a long left arm and elbow on the ground. It was another style that he learned to incorporate in the final part of his career.”

How many more wins does Marc Marquez need to overtake Valentino Rossi?

Having raced alongside both riders, Jorge Lorenzo said Rossi and Marquez are ‘the same’ in that they’re both ‘competitive animals’ who will ‘do anything to win’.

Off the circuit, they both possess a certain ‘charisma’, even if Marquez is a little ‘more shy’.

Debate persists as to which of the two riders is the greatest. In the modern era, they’re in a category of their own.

Kevin Schwantz puts Marquez ‘at the top of the list’ because of his spectacular recovery from years of injuries. His 2025 campaign could be the most dominant in MotoGP history.

Marquez will match Rossi with his seventh top-level title, but he still needs 17 wins to become the series’ most successful rider.