The 2025 Thai MotoGP at Buriram delivered high-octane drama both on and off the track, but it’s Valentino Rossi’s biting post-race jab at Marc Marquez that’s stealing the headlines. Marquez, the Spanish superstar now riding for factory Ducati, clinched a sensational victory under Thailand’s blistering sun, edging out teammate Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia in a nail-biting finale. Yet, for Rossi—the Italian legend and Marquez’s longtime nemesis—this win was less about skill and more about sheer fortune. “Lucky Jorge Martin isn’t in Thailand!” Rossi quipped during a post-race interview, his words dripping with sarcasm and reigniting one of motorsport’s fiercest rivalries. Fans are buzzing, tempers are flaring, and the MotoGP world is once again divided.
Marquez’s triumph in Thailand marked his second win of the 2025 season and a bold statement in his quest for a seventh world title. After years of injury setbacks and a tumultuous exit from Honda, the 32-year-old has roared back to form with Ducati’s Desmosedici firepower. The Buriram circuit, notorious for its punishing heat and relentless straights, tested every rider’s mettle—but Marquez’s late-race surge past Bagnaia was a masterclass in precision and grit. For his legion of supporters, it was proof that the “Ant of Cervera” is back to his dominant best. For Rossi, though? It was a fluke gift-wrapped by circumstance.
The “Jorge Martin absence” Rossi referenced stems from a dramatic subplot. Martin, the 2024 MotoGP champion now riding for Aprilia, withdrew from the Thai round after a freak training crash left him with a fractured wrist. Known for his blistering pace and fearless battles with Marquez, Martin’s absence undeniably shifted the weekend’s dynamic. Rossi, never one to miss a chance to needle his old foe, seized on it. “Marc got lucky this time,” he told Italian broadcaster Sky Sport. “Without Martin there to push him, it was an easier ride. Let’s see how he does when the real fight’s on.” The smirk on Rossi’s face said it all—he wasn’t buying Marquez’s heroics.
This isn’t just trash talk; it’s personal. The Rossi-Marquez feud, simmering since their infamous 2015 clashes at Sepang and Phillip Island, remains a raw nerve in MotoGP lore. Back then, accusations of dirty racing and title sabotage turned mutual respect into outright hostility. Rossi, now 46 and retired from MotoGP racing since 2021, has transitioned into a team owner and pundit—but his disdain for Marquez hasn’t faded. Marquez, for his part, has often shrugged off Rossi’s barbs, focusing on results. Yet, this latest dig might just light a fuse ahead of their next paddock encounter.
Fans wasted no time picking sides. On X, Rossi’s loyal “46 Army” rallied behind him, with one user posting, “Vale’s right—Marquez only shines when the competition’s thin!” Meanwhile, Marquez’s diehards fired back, pointing to his flawless Thailand performance: “Six world titles don’t lie. Rossi’s just jealous he can’t keep up anymore!” The debate even roped in Gemma Pinto, Marquez’s girlfriend, who’s no stranger to the feud. After Rossi downplayed Marquez’s 2024 Aragon win, Pinto had called him “an old man living in the past.” This time, she stayed silent—but her Instagram story of Marquez lifting the Thai trophy, captioned with a single winking emoji, spoke volumes.
On the track, Marquez’s win was no walkover. Bagnaia, the two-time champion, pushed him to the limit, with gaps shrinking to mere tenths in the final laps. The absence of Martin—who’d beaten Marquez in three of their last five duels—might’ve eased the pressure, but Marquez still had to outmuscle a factory Ducati teammate in peak form. Post-race, he brushed off Rossi’s comments with trademark coolness. “Luck? Maybe. But you don’t win in MotoGP without skill,” he said, flashing that sly grin. “Valentino can say what he wants—I’ll keep collecting trophies.”
Rossi’s mockery has turned the Thai MotoGP into more than a race—it’s a battleground for legacy. With Martin expected back for the next round in Malaysia, the stakes are skyrocketing. Will Marquez prove his win was no fluke, or will Rossi’s words ring prophetic? One thing’s certain: this rivalry, a decade in the making, still has the power to electrify the sport. As the circus rolls on to Sepang, fans are braced for fireworks—because when Rossi and Marquez tangle, no one stays neutral.
