Marc Marquez says he was shocked to see Valentino Rossi kick out at his Repsol Honda bike during the Malaysian MotoGP on Sunday.

Two-time champion Marquez was locked in a battle with the Italian standings leader in Sepang when they came together on lap seven, an incident that ended the Spaniard's race.

Rossi was later handed three penalty points by the Race Direction and will start the final round of the season in Valencia from the back of the grid – placing his title challenge under threat after Jorge Lorenzo moved within seven points in Malaysia.

"For me it is easy to explain what happened because on the TV you can see clear," Marquez said. 

"You can see in the video from many points, the helicopter, from in front. I was inside and of course we were overtaking for some laps but I felt I was able to be faster and to catch the front guys. 

"But yeah, on that corner, corner 14, Valentino passed me. I heard the bike then I pick it up, but then I saw that he was completely straight and looking at me and stopping a lot. 

"I was just waiting because there was nothing to do in that point and then I saw that with his leg he pushed my arm and my front brake and then I lock the front wheel and I crash."

He added: "During my career I have had many moments, I mean many battles, but never have I felt like this. 

"Of course we can fight, we can overtake, we can have small contact, but in this race until that moment we never had contact.

"I overtook him but always in good places [on the track], but I don't know how inside the helmet you can think to push out with the leg another rider. I have never seen that before."