FreestyleXtreme Magazine Issue 10 | Page 57

MOTOGP WAS ROSSI ROBBED? Michael Laverty looks back at one of the most intense MotoGP seasons in history D URING THE SUMMER BREAK I wrote a piece for FreestyleXtreme on the resurgence of Valentino Rossi. In that article I suggested Jorge Lorenzo would be Vale’s toughest contender for championship honours and that Marc Márquez could yet prove to be the biggest thorn in his side. Those words have proved quite poignant, as Marc certainly was a thorn in Vale’s side, although not quite in the fashion I was alluding too. So what have we learned since? Valentino Rossi is no longer infallible! Marc Márquez is spiteful? Jorge Lorenzo was quite simply the fastest guy in MotoGP 2015, if not the most unpopular! Valentino led the championship on all but the final day of the season. Now that is a bitter pill to swallow! He feels robbed, of that there is no doubt, as he made his feelings clear during his media debrief following the Valencia race: Marc Márquez is to blame! In the end Valentino only has himself to blame though. During the Thursday press conference of the Sepang GP, Vale pul led the pin on a live grenade, which finally exploded on lap 7 of that Sunday’s race. Of course there is a back story. The clash in Argentina and the final chicane incident in Assen created a little animosity. But would that be enough to justify a strategic move on Marc’s part to thwart Valentino’s championship? I’m not convinced…u