Rossi claims Spanish ‘stitch up’
Rossi says he was denied his win by a Spanish ‘stitch-up’’. Rossi say Lorenzo is a deserving champion but he could not understand why Honda should want to see a Yamaha rider win. He accuses Márquez of being a ‘biscottone’ – an expression used in football when two teams play out a mutually beneficial draw to the detriment of another – but said he expected no less.
I did what I could but it was a strange situation having Márquez as the bodyguard of Lorenzo. It is embarrassing for the sport. Hopefully the sport’s authorities will be able to sort it out. It is an ugly end to what has been an attractive championship. It has not been a true championship and this should not happen in sport.
Márquez responds that it is ‘a lack of respect’ to suggest he had not tried to win:
I always give everything and I know there will be people that will say that I have been second because I wanted Lorenzo to win.
Lorenzo, however, says that the Spaniards may have helped each other:
The fact that they knew what I was going for and that they are Spanish has helped me and in another race they may have tried everything to overtake. Dani did well because he could have tried a crazy overtake. We are Spanish and the title remains in Spain. If it had been in Italy and with two Italians behind Rossi then it would have been the same.
Assaulted by Italian reporters
When returning to his home in Lleida, after a day out dirt biking with his brother and father, Marquez is met by an Italian camera crew from Italian TV show Le Iene (The Hyenas). When Marquez refuses to be interviewed, they shout insults and make rude gestures at him. They follow him into his garage and scuffle with him, pulling his arm and scratching his neck. The family say they will file a police report, and release a statement:
A group of people appeared at the rider’s home and shouted a series of insults, made certain ridiculous and humiliating actions towards the rider himself and even pushed and assaulted his closest relatives. Given the seriousness of these actions, such acts have been condemned and the normal course of criminal proceedings will be followed against such persons.
The TV station also releases a statement:
Our Hyenas went to Spain this afternoon to try to deliver to the pilot of Motogp Marc Marquez the ‘Cup of Sh*t,’ A special prize designed to celebrate the ‘deeds’ of the Spanish rider. But things didn’t go as expected. We arrived in the vicinity of the dwelling of the parents of the pilot where we met Marc Marquez, his father, his brother and a friend. When we tried to deliver our cup we were attacked and in the struggle they broke the camera and took the video card. They must have wanted a bigger cup.