Casey Stoner once explained why Valentino Rossi made a ‘mistake’ starting a feud with Marc Marquez

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Valentino Rossi’s feud with Marc Marquez is still ongoing, 10 years after the events of the 2015 Malaysian Grand Prix. The Doctor’s former nemesis, Casey Stoner, once explained why the Italian rider made a big mistake in starting a dispute with the Spaniard.

The 2015 title fight has gone down in history as one of the most controversial championship battles in the history of MotoGP.

Valentino Rossi felt like Marc Marquez was helping Jorge Lorenzo win a third premier class title, and it resulted in Marquez being given the boot by Rossi in Sepang.

After Rossi was handed a penalty for the final round of the season in Valencia, due to him ‘pushing’ Marquez wide in Malaysia, Lorenzo was successful in securing the championship.

Celebrations were non-existent, however. MotoGP journalists who were present on the day reported a ‘poisonous atmosphere’ within the Yamaha hospitality, despite the fact that one of their riders had just won the title.

• READ MORE: Valentino Rossi ally outlines why there is ‘no chance’ the MotoGP icon will ‘forgive’ Marc Marquez

Casey Stoner said Valentino Rossi poked ‘the worst rider on the grid to poke’ by starting a feud with Marc Marquez

The topic of who was at fault for the whole debacle is a hot topic for debate, with fans taking sides with their more favoured rider.

Marquez is still booed at Italian MotoGP rounds to this day, and the same for Rossi, who was recently booed at the 2025 prizegiving ceremony in Valencia.

During an appearance on Ducati Diaries in 2024, Stoner was asked for his opinion on the ongoing feud between Rossi and Marquez, in which he gave his verdict on the rider who was at fault during the incident.

The two-time premier class champion said, “Marc to a certain degree deserved his criticism, he tried to get in there. But even though everybody blames Marc for the whole thing, people forget that Valentino started it.

“Marc is Marc; we’ve watched him do that all throughout his racing, and then Valentino started a war of words.

“They were all friends and all the rest of it, then Valentino started something, and then Marc retaliated because he didn’t like it. Then, of course, everybody blows up about that, forgetting that Valentino went and poked the bear.

“If somebody rides aggressively and you know that they’re capable of that, don’t go and think you’re above them to scare them out of it, you’re not going to scare someone like Marc Marquez out of it.

“So all he’s done during a championship year that he could have potentially won is literally poke the worst rider on the grid to poke.

“Someone that can beat you, someone that’s faster than you and someone that can potentially take you out of a race or championship.”

Earlier this year, Marquez confirmed that he hasn’t had any further contact with Rossi following the beginning of their intense dispute.

• READ MORE: Valentino Rossi showed how much he respected Marc Marquez with his comments after 2020 injury

Casey Stoner also pinpointed the moment that Valentino Rossi ‘started to unravel’ in MotoGP

Stoner continued, noting how much of a mistake Rossi made by getting into it with Marquez, as well as pinpointing the moment that the legendary Italian rider started to unravel.

He said, “It’s hard, not all the time, but when you’re getting old enough, you should know better. When Valentino was at his height before myself, Dani, and Jorge got there, he used to be able to get into the minds of the riders around him.

“I still think he believed that that happened, but all he did when we were there, the younger generation, was strengthen us.

“We learnt his tricks, we learned what he’s capable of, and then we learned our way around that situation. So, yeah, that was a mistake on his part.

“Losing control in the media, starting a feud with Marc and then getting too involved in that race in Malaysia and as much as Marc copped it, like I said, somewhat deservingly, Valentino started to unravel there himself.”

Despite the feud not being in a position where a reconciliation is soon to happen, it’s clear that both riders still have a lot of respect for each other’s achievements in the sport.

Upon sealing his seventh MotoGP title this year, Marquez found it ‘hard to believe’ that he was matching Rossi’s championship tally.