Honda team principal Livio Suppo fears that the fallout from Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi’s clash in Malaysia is far from over.The 2015 season ended in controversial fashion after Marquez accused Rossi of kicking him during the penultimate race in Sepang with the Italian demoted to the back of the grid for the final race of the season despite his protests.
Although Rossi fought back to finish fourth in Valencia, his Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo clinched the title by winning the race.
In between the two races there was also a scuffle at Marquez’s house involving Italian TV journalists and Suppo admits they are worried there could more unsavoury incidents, and as a result told their riders not to speak during an event in Milan recently.
“Yes, of course, we told them not to speak,” Suppo told Gazzetta dello Sport.
“By now I can expect anything, the only thing missing is someone spitting on Marc.
“I don’t know if Valentino will shake the hand Marc has held out to him, and I don’t know if Marc will carry on holding it out either.
“I can say that it has gone much beyond what’s acceptable. I would like people to go back using their heads.
“I admit I made a mistake in not intervening immediately after Valentino’s accusations at the Sepang press conference.”
Rossi also accused the Honda Repsol duo of Marquez and Dani Pedrosa of acting as Lorenzo’s “bodyguards” in the final race to make sure a Spaniard wins the title.
“If Marc, Dani and Jorge really wanted to fix the result at Valencia, they would have overtaken each other 300 times and then they would have given the victory to whoever they wanted,” Suppo added.
“They were aware that, by doing what happened in the end, they would be buried by accusations.
“Marc has always stayed calm because his conscience is fine.
“Let me add, however, that after what had happened in Sepang, I don’t know how Valentino could expect any help from him.”