THE RIVALS

One of the defining aspects of Rossi’s career has been his rivalries, from compatriot Loris Capirossi to bitter rival Marc Marquez. But while those contests have not always gone to plan, he’s adamant about one thing: they’ve all made him a better racer.

“There have been many big rivals: Capirossi, Biaggi, Gibernau, Lorenzo, Stoner, Marquez, and they made me better. When you fight against people you’re always learning and you’re always trying to improve. Especially the second generation; Lorenzo, Stoner and Marquez have made me a stronger rider.

“I have lived two careers, one the opposite of the other. Until 2010, the others learned from me, but from 2013 and after Ducati I have learned a lot from others.

“I don’t have a relationship with Biaggi now, but that’s because we never had a relationship before. Sometimes I see him, but it’s difficult for me to go and say ‘Ciao Max’. We shared some great moments but we’ll never be friends. “With Gibernau, we had a difficult moment but now it is better, like it is now with Lorenzo. With Stoner, I just don’t see him much.

“With Marquez, it’s difficult. It depends very much on what happened on the track and with what has happened between me and Marquez I think it’s impossible now to recover.”

‘With Marquez it’s impossible now to recover’