After the first podium in the WEC in Imola, Valentino Rossi he treated himself to a weekend like the good old days and couldn’t have chosen a better race. 46, a Jerezin fact he witnessed the third place of “his” up close Marco Bezzecchi (finally with the leaders after a difficult start to the championship) but, above all, to the victory of Pecco Bagnaiaexciting for how she has matured, with a no-holds-barred duel with Marc Marquez: «I will be indebted to you for life, I don’t know if I will be able to do something as beautiful as your race today“, the phrase addressed by the nine-time world champion to his “student”, today with two world championships already on his CV.
Valentino Rossi, dig at Marquez in Jerez?
A compliment to which Bagnaia responded (“It seems to me that you have already given enough, Vale, I would say we are equal”) and which many have also interpreted as a dig from the Doctor towards Marquez, his bitter rival, with whom relations were never healed after what happened in Sepang in 2015: «Marquez decided to make me lose the world championship by making another one win. He didn’t give me the chance to fight for the title with Lorenzo all the way. Years later I think the same as then”, Rossi’s words in March 2023 in a long interview on Gianluca Gazzoli’s podcast, BSMT.
Marquez, who began his ordeal precisely in Jerez in 2020 with the fracture of the humerus in his right arm and the resulting four operations, has not won a race since October 2021, since the GP of Misano. A very long fast for those who triumphed in the championship in 2014, setting the record for races won and pole positions. Putting an end to him before the eyes of Valentino Rossi would have represented a considerable mockery for the Doctora defeat however canceled out by the great performance of Bagnaia, who in one fell swoop reopened the world championship by taking advantage of Martin’s fall and giving his master a great pleasure.
