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MotoGP: Online petition fuels Valentino Rossi debate - CNN.com

(CNN)After the most controversial race in recent MotoGP history in Malaysia this weekend, talk of the clash between Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez in Malaysia has barely subsided.

In fact, a campaign is underway to force a rethink by MotoGP Race Direction, and reverse their decision to banish Rossi to the back of the grid for the season's decisive final race next month.


By Tuesday, 350,000 people had signed a petition online to quash the nine-time world champion's penalty for dangerous riding.

The Movistar Yamaha rider was sanctioned by Race Direction after appearing to kick out at Marquez who subsequently lost control and crashed out of the race at the Sepang International Circuit.

The petition, entitled "Remove the penalty from Valentino Rossi and bring back integrity to the Championship" has been logged on change.org by Rossi fan Nicholas Davis from the UK.

The petition, which has also been translated into Italian and Indonesian, underlines the strength of feeling from fans, many of whom feel that Rossi was unfairly treated.

Immediately after the race, the hashtag #SepangClash started trending on social media with supporters of both Rossi and Marquez expressing passionate opinions.

As well as accusing the MotoGP administrators of wrongly punishing Rossi, the petition takes them to task for failing to sanction Jorge Lorenzo for overtaking on a yellow flag -- a rules infringement that could have harmed the Spaniard's title prospects if officials had spotted it.

"You have just condoned dirty racing tactics by punishing Valentino Rossi for pursuing the championship whilst being harassed and sabotaged by Marc Marquez," the petition reads. "At the same time you have allowed Jorge Lorenzo to overtake on a yellow flag, without penalty."


"Justifying your decision by stating that there is no rule to deal with the actions of Marc Marquez is as absurd as saying there is no rule to prevent riders shooting at other riders with guns. Would you allow that because it didn't break an existing rule?"

However, the petition is unlikely to achieve its aim, particularly when even Movistar Yamaha managing director Lin Jarvis was unwilling to justify Rossi's on track behavior.

"I am not defending his actions," Jarvis said after Sunday's race. "This is why he received the penalty as it was judged that this was not a move within the rules of racing."

Jarvis believes Marquez was responding to Rossi's criticism of the rider.