It’s easy to think Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo have always got on well in MotoGP, but Mat Oxley has pointed out that this couldn’t be further from the truth.
The two Spaniards were involved in one of the most controversial title battles in MotoGP history back in 2015. Lorenzo edged out his Yamaha teammate Valentino Rossi for the championship, with Marquez finishing third.
Rossi famously accused Marquez of helping Lorenzo to secure the title after their rivalry boiled over with the infamous ‘kick’ at Sepang. But as Oxley highlights, Marquez and Lorenzo had plenty of tension between them as well.
Lorenzo realised he was up against it when Marquez joined Honda in 2013. Even then, he was already matching his more experienced teammate’s pace and went on to claim six titles between 2013 and 2019.
Lorenzo never managed to get the better of Marquez when they were riding similar bikes, and their relationship behind closed doors was far from friendly during those championship duels.
Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo’s relationship described as ‘despise’ each other by Mat Oxley
Speaking on his podcast after the Thailand Grand Prix, Oxley pointed out that Bezzecchi’s win came in a round that has its own quirks.
“I think it’s kind of a weird place to start the season, with the tyre and so on,” he said. “So I think, yeah, we’ve got to reserve judgment until Goiania next, then COTA, then Qatar. And Marc said, it’s going to be Jerez before we really know where the things are.
He added: “But I mean, it’s great that Aprilia are there. And also I really like the fact that Aprilia and Ducati kind of hate each other really; there’s a real animosity between them.”
He also made comparisons to riders from the same country: “I think it’s the same with riders from the same country. They usually hate each other because they’re all kind of vying for home support.
“The whole thing that Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo loved each other to screw over Valentino Rossi… no. They despise each other. They really do.
“And therefore you hate the guy that’s trying to be hometown hero instead of you. But it certainly adds a sort of extra spiciness to the whole thing.”
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