MOTOGP: Marquez says Rossi relationship now 'professional'

Marc Marquez says his relationship with Valentino Rossi has improved in the year since their 2015 Malaysian Grand Prix MotoGP clash, to the point that it is "professional."

On the eve of the 2015 Sepang event, Rossi sparked a major controversy when he claimed that Marquez manipulated the Australian Grand Prix days earlier, and was working to help countryman Jorge Lorenzo win the title.

Marquez denied the suggestion, but the pair then clashed 72 hours later in the race, and Rossi's penalty meant he had to start the Valencia finale from the rear of the grid.

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The saga overshadowed the end of the season, with Lorenzo winning at Valencia and beating his Yamaha teammate to the title.

Marquez and Rossi's relationship in the first half of the 2016 MotoGP season was non-existent, until they shook hands after fighting for win at Barcelona in June.

"Of course, the relationship has been changed a little bit," Marquez said at Sepang on Thursday. "But now it becomes better; at minimum we have a professional relationship. Nothing else.

"It's one year after, but it's the same situation, the same opinions [of what happened], I think."

Rossi sought to deflect talk on the topic, only adding: "I agree with Marc."

Originally on Autosport.com