Valentino Rossi felt 'screwed' in 2015 MotoGP feud with Marc Marquez

Rossi launched an attack on Marquez before the penultimate round at Sepang, accusing the Spaniard of "thinking like a child" and plotting to help Jorge Lorenzo win the title.

The pair then clashed during the Malaysian Grand Prix 72 hours later, and Rossi's penalty meant he started the Valencia finale from the rear of the grid, and he lost the championship to his Yamaha team-mate.

The seven-time MotoGP champion says that while he "had everything to lose", his press conference comments were a last resort.

"I have thought long and hard on what had happened," Rossi told Motosprint.

"I also thought that perhaps it would have been better not to do it, but I had to, because I had realised that I was screwed.

"It would have been already difficult to beat Lorenzo in a normal situation, but when Marquez went against me, I realised I got screwed.

"With that press conference, more than trying to intimidate Marquez, I tried to call for the attention of race direction, in order to sort out this thing.

"We had tried to talk to race direction, but they didn't listen to us, so I tried this other way.

"I think they underestimated the problem, because what happened is something no one had expected: I didn't, and neither did they, so when we told them, they looked at us wondering 'what's behind this?'.

"The issue was underestimated. It could have been avoided by talking together in Malaysia."

CHANGE IN RELATIONSHIP

A week out from the start of the 2016 MotoGP season in Qatar, Rossi says that "nothing will ever be the same" for him with Marquez and Lorenzo.

While he expects to maintain a working relationship with Lorenzo, Rossi is still perplexed by what he views as Marquez's tactics.

"It would have been better for [Marquez], too, had he done his own races," he added.

"It was completely clear what his intentions were, with the Valencia race [when Marquez finished second to Lorenzo] being the cherry on top.

"Anyway... it is not very important, in the sense that our relationship, after what had happened, can never be restored.

"We'll have to be only rivals, but I would like us to be able to focus on that, more than on nonsense such as 'let's shake hands, let's not'.

"I prefer doing real things, that's the way.

"OK with Lorenzo, who is my team-mate, but not with him, really."

Translation by Michele Lostia