Marc Marquez’s former teammate reveals how Spaniard ‘copied’ Valentino Rossi when he first entered MotoGP

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Honda test rider Stefan Bradl has disclosed how Marc Marquez “copied” Valentino Rossi during his opening years in MotoGP, as the Spaniard emerged onto the scene in dominant fashion.

Rossi was already well-established as the most popular rider on the grid in MotoGP by the time of Marquez’s arrival in 2013.

The Italian rider had 79 wins and seven premier class titles to his name before the start of Marquez’s rookie season, and only managed to claim 10 victories in the following years as he failed to add another title to his tally.

With the Spaniard viewing ‘The Doctor’ as his idol before his introduction to the premier class, their relationship grew fiercely sour following the events of the 2015 season after Rossi kicked Marquez off his bike during the Malaysian Grand Prix.

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

Valentino Rossi “didn’t like” Marc Marquez copying him in his early MotoGP years

However, Rossi was irked by Marquez long before the Spaniard appeared to aid his compatriot Jorge Lorenzo in the intensely contested 2015 title fight, as revealed by the Ant of Cervera’s former Honda teammate and current test rider to the factory Honda team, Stefan Bradl.

Speaking as a guest on Sport and Talk from Hangar-7, Bradl highlighted Rossi’s impact on making Grand Prix motorcycle racing “big and socially acceptable” on a global level, adding, “Everyone loves him, or at least a lot of them.

“Then Marc Marquez came along, and he also had Rossi as his idol. Marc then moved up the ranks, and their relationship just wasn’t as good. But whether it’s Rossi or Marquez, that happens in other sports too.”

“Marc did the decisive thing: He copied Valentino in many ways. Whether that was in his dealings with the media or in the duels on the bike. Valentino, of course, didn’t like that, especially because young Marc was also enjoying enormous success.

“The duels, the ruined world championship title, and the whole thing made the story even bigger. You can look at it however you want, but in terms of sport, Marquez is a bit better for me at the moment.”

Despite matching his fierce rival in premier class title hauls, Marquez has been told why he won’t be as popular as Rossi in the world of Grand Prix motorcycle racing.

Renowned journalist Mat Oxley believes the former Yamaha rider represented something more than MotoGP with his brand, which made him more of a fan-favourite to those who aren’t avid followers of the series.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Valentino Rossi from stats to net worth

Marc Marquez is eyeing Valentino Rossi’s MotoGP win record after matching his championship count

With the vast majority of MotoGP records already being held by the current Ducati rider, the next on his list is surpassing Rossi’s number of total wins in the premier class.

The former rider stood on the top step of the podium 89 times over the course of his 22-year stint in the sport.

His nemesis currently sits on 73 wins, with another dominant showing next season needed to claim the record.

Despite the ongoing feud, Marquez still holds a lot of respect for Rossi, as shown in his comments to the media following his clinching of a seventh MotoGP title at the Japanese Grand Prix.

It is widely believed that we won’t see a resolution in the conflict between the two riders until after Marquez calls it quits on his racing career.