Stoner was never one for getting into heated exchanges, or playing mi💎nd games off the track.

Instead, the Australian did a lot of his talking on the track w🍌ith dominant performances, forꦕ both Ducati and Honda. 

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But two of the biggest names the sport has ever had - Marc Marqueꩲz and Valentino Rossi - were able to ‘play the game’ better than most.

Marquez still use🎉s tricks against his opponents, which was again on display in Sepang when𝕴 he and Franco Morbidelli squabbled for track position during qualifying. 

Riders on slower bikes have always looked for a faster rider to ꦇlatch onto,🤡 so seeing the likes of Marquez do that is of no surprise.

But it’s the mind games and visible disruption th﷽at it can cause whꦡich highlights where and what they’re thinking. 

Stoner, who still sees riders tr🧸ying to get in the heads of their rivals although not as much as before, believes it ‘💃uncovers a lot of their weaknesses’. 

Speaking to TNT sports about current rivalries compared to legendary ones of the past, Stoner said: “It’s there. It’s just under a😼 veil. You’ve got to look for it. It’s there! I understand everyone at home wants to see the nitty gritty. Some compe💙titors like that, they think it’s how you get into people’s mind-sets. 

“But in my opinion, all you do by trying to get into som🎶eone🌸’s head and doing it in the wrong way? You just make them stronger. 

“Everyone that has ever done it to me? You learn from everything they do. The reason they do everything. It uncovers a l♍ot of their weaknesses. You can tell when they’re trying to compensate for certain things when they’re trying to intimidate you. 

“As 🔜long as you learn from it all, it makes you stronger to the point where they cannot intimidate you. If you’re out there, racing with a mate, and you are friends with them, they won’t go quite as hard. They 🌄won’t send it up the inside. If you show your rivals respect, they won’t send it as hard. 

“When it comes to a championship, do you really want a rival who will try to clean you out? Or d꧋o you want to get thౠis job done on merit? 

“There is a lot of respect between the 🅷riders at the moment because they all know that they’re struggling with certain things. Why risk all of that by making enemies who could clean you out, at any moment?”