Valentino Rossi Reveals Lingering Scars From 2015 Sepang Controversy: “Marquez Wanted Me to Lose”

Valentino Rossi has opened up about the deep and lasting impact of the infamous 2015 MotoGP season finale at Sepang, where his bitter rivalry with Marc Marquez reached a boiling point. Speaking on Italian TV show “Che Tempo Che Fa,” Rossi described the incident as a wound that continues to burn, even after more than a decade.

“The truth is, Marc was not fighting for the championship that year—Lorenzo and I were,” Rossi stated bluntly. “He was only battling to make me lose, and in the end, he succeeded.” This admission underlines the personal toll the episode took on the nine-time world champion. “Every time I think about it, my mood is exactly the same as it was after that final race in Valencia,” Rossi confessed.

The 2025 autobiography, “My Story,” co-written with Giorgio Terruzzi and released today, delves deeply into Rossi’s career highs and lows, on and off the track. However, the 2015 Sepang saga remains a central and unresolved chapter, symbolizing the fracture in the once fierce camaraderie—and now rivalry—between Rossi and Marquez.

Rossi expressed his ongoing frustration: “It really doesn’t go away. It still hurts, even after more than ten years. That feeling when I think about it is identical to that night in Valencia, and honestly, it worries me a little.” He added a reflective note about the nature of competitive sport: “But many times I look in the mirror and tell myself, ‘Come on, don’t focus on the one you lost to, but on the others you beat.’ Yet, sport is like that—it hurts far more to lose than it does to win.”

The revelation sheds new light on the psychological scars Rossi carries from one of MotoGP’s most contentious seasons, underscoring the intense mental battles riders endure beyond the physical demands of racing. The enduring bitterness highlights the profound impact the Sepang incident has had on the sport’s history and the personal legacies involved.

Rossi’s candid reflections provide a rare glimpse into the human dimension behind MotoGP’s high-speed drama, revealing that even the greatest champions are not immune to lingering wounds from their fiercest battles.