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Valentino Rossi swore he never intentionally kicked Marc Márquez during the 2015 Malaysian Grand Prix, addressing the decade-old MotoGP controversy in his autobiography, La mia storia.
The Italian motorcycle racing legend revisited the infamous Sepang clash while promoting the book, which hit shelves in early November 2026. reported that the seven-time premier-class champion wrote that it was finally time to set the record straight on an incident that altered the trajectory of his career.
The collision occurred on the seventh lap at the Sepang International Circuit as the two riders scrapped for third place behind Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo. Márquez crashed out after contact, and race stewards penalized Rossi with three grid points for the season finale.
“Marquez berakselerasi untuk mencoba menyalip saya, tuas remnya mengenai kaki saya di bawah jaket kulit saya setinggi lutut. Pada saat itu, kaki kiri saya tergelincir,” Rossi wrote in the book, according to detikSport.
“Itu terlihat seperti tendangan. Benar-benar terlihat seperti tendangan yang menyebabkan kecelakaan itu. Saya juga berpikir begitu setelah melihat rekamannya,” he added.
Despite the visual evidence that convinced race direction otherwise, Rossi maintained his innocence under oath. said that the veteran rider swore an oath on the lives of his daughters that no kick ever took place.
The fallout from Sepang forced Rossi to start the final race in Valencia from the back of the grid, effectively handing the 2015 title to Jorge Lorenzo and leaving Rossi stranded on nine world championships. reported that Rossi told Italian television program Che Tempo Che Fa that Márquez was not racing for position that day but merely trying to defeat him.
“Dia hanya berjuang untuk membuat saya kalah. Dan pada akhirnya, berhasil,” Rossi said on the program, as cited by Pontianak Post, adding that the emotional scar still causes lingering pain.
“Aku bilang padanya, ‘Jangan macam-macam. Diam saja, jangan bergerak. rapatkan kakimu. Kita harus bertahan selama 24 jam,’” Rossi recalled in a Radio Deejay interview noted by CNN Indonesia. Their daughter, Giulietta Rossi, was ultimately born on March 4, 2022.
The book release coincides with the twilight of the 2026 MotoGP season, where Márquez enters the final rounds with a chance to equal or surpass Rossi’s career title tally. pointed out that Márquez stands on the brink of securing a tenth world title across all classes, drawing level with Rossi’s historical benchmark as the modern era’s most decorated competitors continue their historic proximity.
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