MotoGP: Rossi: 'Marquez has destroyed our sport'

Valentino Rossi has said Marc Marquez has ‘destroyed the sport’ after the antics that saw the Spaniard receive three penalties during today’s Argentinian Grand Prix.

Marquez was handed a ride through penalty in the early stages of today’s race after stalling his bike on the grid and then riding the wrong way up the track back to his grid position ahead of the race start.

Following that, the Spaniard collided with several riders as he aggressively fought back through the field with incredible pace. An incident with Aleix Espargaro saw race direction hand him a one-place penalty but that wouldn’t be the end, as he then collided into the side of Rossi towards the end of the race, pushing the Italian onto the grass and subsequently off his Movistar Yamaha.

Crossing the line sixth, Marquez was then handed a further 30 second penalty for the Rossi collision, moving him 18^th and out of the points but the Italian says it’s not enough and suggests race direction take further action against the Repsol Honda rider.

“This is a very bad situation,” Rossi said after the race. “He has destroyed our sport, he never has any respect for his rivals. If you start to play like this, you raise the level to a very dangerous point. If all the riders race like this without any respect for their rivals this becomes a dangerous sport and it will finish in a bad way.

“I told Mike Webb [Race Director] they have to do something because the way Marquez behaves is not OK. I’m scared when I am on the track with him, when you go at 300kph on the track you have to respect your rivals.” 

For more on what Rossi, Marquez and winner Cal Crutchlow had to say and a full analysis of the dramatic Argentinian Grand Prix, pick up Wednesday’s MCN.