Rossi’s comments have placed the final two races of the 2015 season into a specific context that did not exist a few hours ago. There is now a greater Valentino Rossi Marc Marquez story. Many MotoGP fans who have followed the series since Rossi climbed to the top will remember his conflicts with Max Biaggi, Sete Gibernau, and Casey Stoner. For a time there was a physical and symbolic wall that divided the Yamaha box when Rossi and Lorenzo were not on speaking terms. Marc Marquez arrived in the premier class as Rossi was trying to come back from his two fruitless years at Ducati. Until Assen (when Rossi made a controversial trip through the gravel to claim the win over Marquez) we have had mainly jocular antagonism between Rossi and his youngest rival for race victories.

Marquez has now joined the club formally composed of Biaggi, Gibernau, Stoner and Lorenzo (and perhaps a junior membership should be attributed to Dani Pedrosa).

Trying to win the 2015 title, Rossi is battling on and off the track. He has now added backstory to the drama that includes Laguna Seca, 2013, when Marquez did to him what he’d done to Casey Stoner in 2008. He has accused Marquez of action like a child, spitefully trying to help Lorenzo only to prevent Rossi from wining another title. He has questioned the story that young Marc Marquez idolized Rossi and had posters of the Italian up on his wall. He has called out Marquez’s character.

In one sense it’s typical Rossi, and yet it remains fascinating to watch whether one views it as the spirit of a great champion who will do anything to win, or as a highway accident from which one can’t look away. Rossi critics might say he should keep such opinions to himself and settle the title on track, given whatever situation he finds himself in. Rossi’s admirers might say he is a master of gaining any advantage he sees available.

Expressing these opinions when and where he has done, Rossi appears to be seeking an advantage that will assist him on track, that of neutralizing Marquez’s contribution to the final points tally. For whatever Marquez does in the final two races, the MotoGP world at large will view those results within the context Rossi has now created for the 2015 season, and indeed the future of his time in MotoGP.

If Marquez appears to do anything other than try to win each of the final races as simply and expediently as possible, some loud voices will say that Rossi was right and that Marquez is butting into the championship rather than letting the top two riders of the season settle it between themselves. Lorenzo’s results are then also placed into the context of Marquez’s intentions, and unless Marquez crashes out early in both races, Lorenzo may now be unable to win a title that is not tinged with the question of Marquez’s influence.

For Rossi’s part, if he now loses the 2015 title, it was because he was fighting Lorenzo and his new confederate, Marquez. If he wins, he overcame not only Lorenzo but also the interloper Marquez.

If the conclusion to the 2015 wasn’t already interest enough, we now have new complications with which to enjoy the racing on track. Such complications can only have come from one of the players. Love him or hate him.

©2015 by Scott Jones / PhotoGP – All Rights Reserved

Camera Info: Nikon D4 with Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8