Davide Tardozzi says it’s ‘foolish’ to say one thing about Marc Marquez’s feud with Valentino Rossi

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Valentino Rossi may have retired from MotoGP in 2021, but his bitter rivalry with Marc Marquez is still going strong today, and Davide Tardozzi wants to see it end.

Marquez grew up idolising Rossi, but when he joined MotoGP in 2013, the pair entered into a fiery rivalry as they fought for the title. The fallout from the infamous ‘kick’ at the 2015 Malaysian GP is still remembered to this day.

Rossi ‘always needed someone to hate’ as motivation in MotoGP, and Marquez sure gave him that as they battled for the championship. But 2009 would be the Doctor’s last title as the Ant of Cervera went on a tear in the 2010s, winning six titles with Honda.

Davide Tardozzi thinks it’s ‘foolish’ to say Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi’s feud cannot be resolved

Now with Ducati, Marquez is in search of his 10th Grand Prix title in 2026. But while his bitter rival retired five years ago, his feud with Rossi still lives on, especially with the Italian having a MotoGP team, VR46, and his fans’ hostility towards the Spaniard.

Rossi fans cheered as Marquez crashed at the Doctor’s home race at Misano last year. Despite this, Ducati team manager Tardozzi praised his rider for his ‘kindness’ – he has had enough of their rivalry.

Last year, Tardozzi said Marquez was ready to reconcile with Rossi, but the Doctor has shown no signs of wanting to straighten things out. Speaking with GPOne, the Ducati chief sees it the same, and he is making it a ‘mission’ of his to put it to rest.

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“I also want to mention Valentino Rossi,” he said. “What happened, happened, but in my opinion, it’s time to put that darn 2015 behind us.

“Between two talents like Valentino, who was at the peak of his career, and Marc, who was just starting out but had already won, there was an explosive clash.

“In my opinion, there were mistakes on both sides. Admitted by Marc, not admitted by Valentino. In my view, without getting into who was more or less at fault, they were simply mistakes on both sides.”

Asked if Marquez and Rossi should talk things out, Tardozzi replied: “Two great champions like them should reconcile. I believe this situation might be irreparable, but it’s foolish that it’s irreparable.

“In my opinion, two great champions like them should talk to each other; they should work together for the good of motorcycle racing.

“I think it’s time to put an end to this feud, which has now lasted 11 years. I’ve been saying this for a while, but it takes the willingness of both parties.

“I know it’s there on one side; it needs to be there on the other as well. Never say never—I’ve made it something of a mission for myself. Putting certain things behind them could be a sign of intelligence, a sign of foresight and maturity.”