Stoner Points the Finger at Rossi and Underlines Mistake That Cost Him His 10th Title: ‘He Started It; It Was a Mistake to Antagonize Márquez
The world of MotoGP is often a battleground not only for speed and skill, but also for the intense rivalries between its top competitors. One such rivalry that captured the attention of fans and left an indelible mark on the sport was the one between Valentino Rossi and Marc Márquez, particularly during the infamous 2015 season. In a recent reflection, two-time MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner weighed in on the incident that arguably cost Rossi his tenth world championship title. Stoner pointed the finger directly at Rossi, accusing him of igniting the conflict with Márquez and making a critical error in his approach during the pivotal season.
The 2015 MotoGP season is remembered as one of the most dramatic in the sport’s history. Valentino Rossi, a nine-time world champion, was on the cusp of securing his elusive tenth title. However, his season-long battle with Spanish prodigy Marc Márquez, who was rapidly establishing himself as one of the sport’s future greats, took a bitter turn at the Malaysian Grand Prix. During that race, an on-track altercation between the two resulted in Márquez crashing out after what appeared to be contact with Rossi’s leg. The incident was hotly debated, with fans and pundits split over who was to blame. The aftermath led to Rossi being penalized and starting from the back of the grid at the final race in Valencia, significantly diminishing his chances of winning the championship, which eventually went to his Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo.
Casey Stoner, who himself had a long-standing rivalry with Rossi, did not mince words when addressing the events of the 2015 season. According to Stoner, the downfall of Rossi’s championship hopes was of his own making, and it stemmed from his decision to “antagonize” Márquez.
“He started it,” Stoner said bluntly in an interview. “Rossi made the mistake of trying to get into Márquez’s head, and in doing so, he escalated the tension between them to a point of no return.”
Stoner explained that Rossi’s accusations earlier in the season, where he implied that Márquez was deliberately sabotaging his title bid by helping Lorenzo, were a tactical error. Rossi had suggested that Márquez, who was not in contention for the title that year, was playing games by fighting him too aggressively and not engaging Lorenzo with the same intensity. This created a toxic atmosphere that culminated in the explosive events of Sepang.
“I understand why Rossi felt threatened,” Stoner continued. “He saw Márquez as the young upstart who was taking the sport by storm, much like Rossi had done in his younger years. But in trying to provoke him, he underestimated Márquez’s mentality. Márquez is a fighter—he wasn’t going to back down. Rossi should have focused on his own race rather than letting Márquez get under his skin.”
The pivotal moment in this rivalry came at the Malaysian Grand Prix, where the pair engaged in a fierce battle on track, with Rossi appearing to deliberately slow Márquez down in an attempt to disrupt his race. What followed was the infamous contact that led to Márquez’s crash. For many, this was the climax of a season-long feud, with Rossi’s aggressive tactics coming under fire.
Stoner was quick to point out that Rossi’s actions in Sepang were a direct consequence of the psychological battle he had started earlier in the year.
“When you try to play mind games, you have to be prepared for the consequences. Rossi’s decision to engage in that psychological warfare with Márquez ultimately cost him. Márquez didn’t take it lightly, and that led to the on-track clash,” Stoner stated.
The fallout from the incident was immediate and severe. Rossi was handed a penalty for “irresponsible riding,” which saw him start the final race of the season from the back of the grid. Despite an impressive recovery ride, Rossi could only manage fourth place in the race, while Lorenzo took the victory and with it, the championship. Many Rossi fans continue to believe that the penalty was unjust and that it robbed their hero of a tenth title, but Stoner views it differently.
“I don’t think the penalty was unfair,” Stoner said. “Rossi’s actions were reckless. Whether you agree with the outcome or not, the fact remains that he put himself in that position by antagonizing Márquez. It was a mistake, and it cost him dearly.”
Stoner, who retired from full-time MotoGP racing in 2012, has always been a straight-talker, and his assessment of the Rossi-Márquez feud is no different. He believes that Rossi, despite his immense talent and experience, allowed emotions to get the better of him in 2015.
“If Rossi had kept his head down and focused on his own performance, he might have won that tenth title,” Stoner mused. “But by getting drawn into a battle with Márquez, he lost sight of the bigger picture. He gave Márquez the opportunity to retaliate, and once that happened, it was always going to end badly for Rossi.”
Stoner also acknowledged that Márquez, while aggressive, was simply racing with the same intensity that had brought him success in the early years of his career. “Márquez wasn’t going to let anyone push him around, especially not someone like Rossi. He’s a fierce competitor, and once the gloves came off, there was no turning back.”
The 2015 season remains a controversial chapter in MotoGP history, with fans still divided over the roles played by Rossi, Márquez, and even Lorenzo. For Stoner, the lesson is clear: even the greatest champions can make mistakes, and in Rossi’s case, the mistake was letting emotions dictate his actions.
“Rossi is one of the greatest riders of all time—there’s no doubt about that,” Stoner concluded. “But in 2015, he made a miscalculation. He tried to play mind games with a rider who was more than capable of fighting back, and it cost him. It’s a shame, because that tenth title would have been a fitting end to his legendary career.”
As the dust settles on the events of 2015, one thing is certain: the rivalry between Rossi and Márquez will be remembered as one of the most intense and controversial in the history of MotoGP. Whether it was a battle of egos, a clash of generations, or simply a series of unfortunate events, it will forever be linked to the title that slipped through Rossi’s fingers. For Casey Stoner, the answer is simple: Rossi started it, and that was his downfall.
