Francesco Bagnaia has criticized MotoGP’s choice to release a short documentary commemorating the 10th anniversary of the controversial clash between Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez. The Sepang circuit remains synonymous with the peak of their fierce rivalry. Back in 2015, Rossi arrived in Malaysia leading the championship by 11 points over Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo with just two races left. At the pre-race press conference, the Italian stunned the paddock by accusing Marquez of deliberately aiding fellow Spaniard Lorenzo comments that shocked even Marquez himself.
What followed on race day only deepened the drama. During their intense on-track battle, Rossi was accused of deliberately kicking Marquez, causing the Honda rider to crash. The stewards penalized Rossi with three points on his licence, forcing him to start the season finale in Valencia from the back of the grid. Lorenzo went on to win the title, while Rossi’s fourth-place finish divided fans for years to come into “Rossistas” and “Marquistas.”
To mark the 10-year anniversary of the so-called “Sepang Clash,” MotoGP promoter Dorna released a 26-minute documentary revisiting the episode. The film features figures such as Lorenzo, Andrea Dovizioso, and Dani Pedrosa but notably omits Rossi and Marquez themselves. A young Bagnaia also briefly appears in the background of Rossi’s garage a detail he admitted he found puzzling.
Bagnaia’s remarks came as he also criticized organizers for continuing the recent Malaysian GP after the crash involving Jose Antonio Rueda and Noah Dettwiler. He urged decision-makers to show greater empathy, questioning both the documentary’s release and the decision not to suspend the Moto3 race.
“Sometimes riders have a sensitivity that those making decisions don’t,” Bagnaia said. “Releasing a documentary about the Sepang Clash wasn’t a brilliant idea.” He added that the timing was particularly insensitive, coinciding with the anniversary of Marco Simoncelli’s fatal accident at Sepang in 2011.
Bagnaia also expressed discomfort with how the footage was presented and the fact that he appeared despite declining to participate. “Some roles were shown in a distorted way,” he said. “Releasing it on the anniversary of Simoncelli’s death felt inappropriate. I’d already said earlier this year that it wasn’t the right topic to revisit even Dovizioso said he didn’t remember much. And I still don’t understand why they showed me.”
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