Strategic Misstep: Former Crew Chief Criticizes Valentino Rossi’s 2015 Tactics Against Marc Marquez

Valentino Rossi, labeled a "manipulator," has been accused of erring in his approach towards Marc Marquez. Jorge Lorenzo’s ex-crew chief contends that Rossi made a misstep by provoking Marquez back in 2015.

Former crew chief for Jorge Lorenzo, Ramon Forcada, believes that Valentino Rossi was wrong to provoke Marc Marquez in 2015.

Forcada, who served as Lorenzo’s crew chief during all three of his MotoGP championship wins (including the one in 2015), thinks that Rossi’s earlier victories using what he terms “psychological warfare” inspired him to attempt similar tactics against Marc Marquez in 2015.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Forcada described Rossi as someone who skillfully influenced situations positively throughout his career.

"With certain riders, things went smoothly, but with others, it didn't go as well. However, ultimately, it's within the rules and allowed. There's no basis to claim he insulted [Marc] Marquez."

In 2015, however, Forcada thinks Rossi "erred" in going after Marquez.

“Forcada mentioned that he underestimated his rival on that occasion. He made an error. Things had always worked out for him before, but facing Marquez was a different story.”

"He lacked proper judgment. He should have turned him into a friend rather than a foe."

At that time, Marc had no stakes and was both quick and youthful. Meanwhile, Valentino chose to exacerbate the situation.

Forcada expressed his bewilderment at Rossi’s efforts to revisit the topic, especially in light of Rossi’s recent remarks on Andrea Migno’s Mimg Babol podcast. This is particularly surprising given that four current MotoGP riders, including Francesco Bagnaia, who will soon be Marquez’s teammate at the Ducati Lenovo Team, are members of Rossi’s VR46 Riders Academy.

“Forcada expressed confusion about Valentino's intentions behind his statements. He mentioned that he doesn't believe these words help to alleviate any pressure on his riders.”

"He might think that Marc is the adversary his students face: the emotional scar from 2015 is still fresh and painful for him. He possibly believes that mental tactics can still be effective."

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