Valentino Rossi feared his daughter would share Marc Marquez’s birthday

Valentino Rossi has caused a stir with his latest comments on Marc Marquez, as he revealed that “there was a risk” his daughter would share the Spaniard’s birthday.

Rossi and Marquez fell out following a controversial end to the 2015 campaign, when the seven-time MotoGP champion accused the then-Honda rider of trying to sabotage his title hopes.

The pair have never reconciled, with Rossi only doubling down on his viewpoint about the 2015 season in the decade since.

Promoting the launch of his new autobiography, Rossi said earlier this week that his 2015 title loss “still stings” and branded Marquez’s actions as “absurd”.

Rossi’s latest Marquez jab

All of this comes as Marquez nears an eighth MotoGP title, which would see him move ahead of Rossi on the all-time champions’ list.

In a new interview with Radio Deejay, Rossi has now joked that he had to force his partner to hold off giving birth to their daughter Giulietta as “there was a risk” she could have been born on Marquez’s birthday of 17 February.

Giulietta was eventually born on 4 March.

“At one point, there was a risk that Giulietta would be born on Marquez’s birthday,” he said.

“I told her, ‘Don’t play any tricks; stay still, don’t move, keep your legs together. We have to hold out for 24 hours’.”

Rossi’s Marquez comments coming under fire

Rossi remains one of MotoGP’s most popular figures, but his comments in recent days have drawn plenty of criticism on social media.

It’s been five years since Rossi retired from MotoGP to take up car racing full-time, while his last race victory was in 2017 and his most recent world title was in 2009.

As MotoGP grows its fan base, Rossi’s current tirade against Marquez, particularly as the Spaniard stands on the edge of an historic achievement, risks overshadowing his glittering career.

Rossi’s new book is now out in Italy, with an English-language version expected in February of next year.