Ducati-Marquez, Rossi: “Bagnaia didn’t need it, I won’t change my mind about Marc”

The Doctor doesn’t change his mind

“I didn’t deserve Jorge Lorenzo in the box”. Valentino Rossi He has repeatedly underlined this concept in relation to Yamaha’s choice to protect itself by signing the Majorcan who made his debut in 2008 on the M1 after winning two titles in the 250 class. At that time in history, the rider from Tavullia seemed attracted by the F1 project, with Ferrari ready to make a seat at Sauber available to the Doctor after some promising private tests carried out at the wheel of the Rossa.

Cohabitation with Lorenzo first led Valentino Rossi to seek his fortune in Ducati, then he returned to Yamaha, failing to win a world title after having beaten Lorenzo in 2009 (Lorenzo won with Rossi at his side in the garage in 2010 and 2015). Interviewed by the French sports daily The Team Valentino Rossi commented on the decision of Ducati management to assign the second seat of the official team to Marc Marquez, thus disavowing the youth policy. In some ways, the same thing happened to Bagnaia that happened to Rossi when Yamaha decided to put Jorge Lorenzo alongside the Doctor. “I honestly don’t quite understand what happened. – said the current BMW driver in the WEC and GT World Challenge – It seemed all done for Jorge Martin’s arrival in the official team. In any case, Bagnaia is ready, he is a two-time world champion and is fighting to win the third title. From my point of view he didn’t need Marquez in the box to show that he is number one.. It is normal that Martin, Bezzecchi and Bastianini felt betrayed after years of loyalty to the brand and that they left. In the paddock, one could almost not believe the Marquez-Ducati deal”.

Rossi, when asked whether Ducati made a mistake in choosing Marquez, did not answer, but reiterated that he had not changed his opinion on the current Gresini rider towards whom the resentment and anger for what happened in the past has not diminished: “I have a clear opinion about this character and I will never change it.“.