Nearly a decade after the rivalry between Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi exploded onto the MotoGP scene, the topic has resurfaced with Rossi’s recent harsh criticism of his former rival. However, it’s not just Marquez who has been among the Italian’s most prominent opponents. Rossi himself has often cited Casey Stoner as one of his biggest rivals. In response to the recent attacks, the Australian has spoken out, pointing the finger at Rossi for what he calls a “mistake” in creating antagonism towards Marquez.
In an episode of the podcast “ Ducati Diaries » Stoner recalled his own experiences with Red, noting the massive influence that the Italian has always exerted on the media: " Valentino was very important in all types of media. They couldn't afford to put it aside, so they made me look like the bad guy. »
According to Stoner, media coverage has often been in favor of Red, leaving little room for other pilots, especially those who were not as outgoing as the "Doctor." I wasn't looking for attention, I was just riding my motorcycle " added the Australian.
Casey Stoner: "Everyone blames Marc Marquez for all this, but they forget that Valentino started it »
Focusing on the rivalry between Red et Marquez, Stoner expressed his view that Red made a monumental mistake in provoking the Spaniard. Everyone blames Marc for all this, but they forget that Valentino started it " he explained, noting that the two drivers were previously friends, until Red sparks a war of words. According to Stoner, this strategy backfired Red : " You can't scare someone like Marc; it was a mistake on his part to antagonize him »
Stoner goes even further by asserting that Red himself lost his tenth world title because of this approach: " he upset the worst driver on the grid in this regard and lost a World Championship he could have won. » For the Australian, the behavior of Red no longer had the desired impact on new generations of pilots: " Before us, he could get into the minds of other pilots. But with Dani Pedrosa, Jorge Lorenzo and I, we knew what he was capable of.. » Stoner concludes that Rossi misjudged Marquez thinking his mental tactics would work on such a strong and determined driver.
Ultimately, according to Stoner, this rivalry remains a strategic error on the part of Red, who underestimated the impact of his own mind games on such a resilient competitor as Marquez.
