Marco Bezzecchi
There are a few names that come to mind when thinking about the greatest racers of the 21st century, across both the motorcycle and single-seater disciplines.
Valentino Rossi and Michael Schumacher were the names that dominated the 2000s, going on historic runs with their respective teams.
The next decade saw Lewis Hamilton and Marc Marquez forge names for themselves, with the four of them being heralded as greats of their era.
MotoGP and Formula 1 were blessed to have such talents, and the likes of Max Verstappen and Pedro Acosta promise that the excitement levels shan’t dip any time soon.
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Marquez urged his fans not to attack Rossi after the two have been through a more than decade-long feud.
There’s a chance that Marquez could break more Rossi records in 2026 if he can continue to dominate with Ducati. Looking back, it’s a shame that they didn’t get to fight more often.
READ MORE: How Marc Marquez’s route to seven MotoGP world championships compares with Valentino Rossi
Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez are similar to Michael Schumacher because they ‘love competition’
Rossi will never ‘clear the air’ with Marquez, and their conflict is likely to go unresolved for a long time. They did manage to put on some great shows in their few years of competing at the highest level.
Schumacher, on the other hand, was involved in controversies with a wide array of drivers, but rarely when he was winning, because when he was at the front, he was untouchable.
That’s not to say that Rossi and Marquez didn’t do the same, because they did, but between 2013 and 2016, neither enjoyed too much of an advantage.
Speaking about the trio, Chad Reed has revealed in Mat Oxley’s Marc The Magnificent biography that they’re all quite similar to each other, because they love to compete.
“Whether it’s Valentino I’ve been around, or Marc, or Michael Schumacher, or Mick Doohan, they’re just kids at heart,” he said. “They just love competition.”
Marquez ‘won’t be satisfied’ beating Rossi’s records and competes for the sake of winning, not to break records. That’s why he’s set to be a dangerous opponent for many years to come.
READ MORE: Casey Stoner once explained why Valentino Rossi made a ‘mistake’ starting a feud with Marc Marquez
How Valentino Rossi came close to switching from MotoGP to Formula 1
During his own glory years, Rossi had been tempted by a switch to four wheels from two. It was around the time that Schumacher drew a curtain on his career with Ferrari.
After multiple tests, where he did impress, Rossi ultimately decided that the best move was to remain in MotoGP. After all, it was where he was loved.
Who knows whether he could have dealt with the pressure of racing for Ferrari? He would’ve had the whole of Italy on his shoulders.
When he attempted a similar move within the premier class world by going to Ducati in 2011, he failed. Maybe he could’ve been the second and only man after John Surtees to win championships across both two and four wheels.
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