Andrea Iannone says he was a ‘very clean’ racer compared to Marc Marquez after MotoGP rivalry

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Andrea Iannone is widely regarded as one of the most aggressive riders in the history of MotoGP, but the Italian has disclosed why he was a ‘very clean’ racer when compared to Marc Marquez.

Having begun his career in the premier class in the same year as Marc Marquez, Andrea Iannone was one of the few riders to be in and around the frontrunners during the fateful 2015 MotoGP season.

The Italian rider was given the nickname ‘Crazy Joe’ during his tenure in Grand Prix motorcycle racing due to his aggressive nature in racing his competitors.

He was adored by MotoGP fans for his brute force, but according to former MotoGP rider turned pundit Neil Hodgson, Iannone was ‘awful’ during interviews.

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Andrea Iannone highlights a ‘little habit’ of Marc Marquez’s that makes him so aggressive on track

In a recent appearance on the BSMT podcast, Iannone was asked for his opinion on the 2025 title-winner, as well as his thoughts on the disdain that Italian fans have for Marquez following the events of the 2015 MotoGP season.

He said, “He’s undoubtedly stained in Italy; it certainly wasn’t a good page in the sport. In that year, I was fighting with Marquez in Australia, and in the end, Vale finished fourth, and I finished third. I was also a bit angry, because I felt like I was competing for the world championship.

“I was starting to get my first podiums in MotoGP, and Ducati was starting to go well. I’m someone who’s friends with everyone off the track, but in the race, I’m not friends with anyone. That’s something that I think has always set me apart.

“I’ve always been very clean in duels, in battles. Marc is someone who always had that little habit of when he was next to you, he’d always push you a bit wide, and fans pick up on that.

“But he’s a great champion, you can’t say anything about that. He’s someone who’s won nine world titles, hurt himself a lot, suffered a lot, and everything he’s done to come back to racing with Gresini.

“In the end, you can’t say anything if you look at it from a sportsman’s point of view. Whether you like him or not is another story.”

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Marc Marquez has since toned down his aggressive riding style since his MotoGP move to Ducati machinery

Following the conclusion of the highly controversial 2015 season, Hodgson called Marquez the most aggressive rider he has ever seen in the premier class.

The comments were in reference to the Spaniard’s on-track decision not to attack Jorge Lorenzo at the all-important title decider in Valencia during the fallout between Marquez and Valentino Rossi in the preceding races.

However, following his move to Ducati machinery for the 2024 MotoGP season, Hodgson noted how the high-flying 32-year-old has had to amend his riding style to cater to the different calibre of bike.

Marquez’s riding style is now the ‘polar opposite’ of what it once was, with the former rider citing how clean his entry into corners is now atop more stable machinery.