Gibernau not ruling out racing this year

firedice · Aug 25, 2008

Sete Gibernau says he has not ruled out a return to racing this season, and claims Ducati are not the only option for him.

The Spaniard has tested for Ducati a couple of times this year, in what was his first contact with MotoGP machinery since he retired at the end of 2006.

His speed in the tests, and the problems of Marco Melandri this season, increased speculation that Gibernau could replace the Italian, who has already announced he will ride for Kawasaki in 2009.

And although the Ducati option has not materialised, Gibernau says he could still race this year.

"We have been testing, and I have been enjoying it - which is my main goal right now," Gibernau told autosport.com at Valencia. "I wanted to enjoy racing again and riding a bike – and after that when I started to go fast I impressed myself!

"I am open to whatever, but first of all I want to have fun. But after having fun and getting competitive, I have to have my way to come back. It doesn't mean it is the correct way, but it has to be my way. And if it does happen my way then maybe I will come back."

When asked if he could race again this year, he said: "There is still a chance, maybe, but you never know. Like I said, I want to enjoy every day, whatever happens is great and I am open to whatever happens."

He added: "There are some other options, so we will just have to see what happens right now. Many things can happen and hopefully it will come right for me.

"Right now, it is a little bit on my side. But it is a matter of having things together, so whatever Ducati needs from me I have to be able to give them. And if what I need they can give me, then we can get together and that will be great."

link-http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/70070

SackWack · Aug 25, 2008

So did the reporter ask him what the hell he needs?

ROCKGOD01 · Aug 25, 2008

If I was Livio Suppo of Ducati I would send Marco on his way since he is going to Kawasaki but get Sete in his seat asap. There is still a chance here for Stoner to win the championship and Sete has a much better chance of running at the top than Melandri does. This would be a good thing for Ducati since Sete has already proven through testing he has a better grip on the machine and could possibly get in between Stoner and Vale. Strategy wise Ducati at this point could do no worse. If Sete does the deed and actually gets in a few races where he disrupts Rossi he might see himself in a good position at Ducati.

chopperman · Aug 25, 2008

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ROCKGOD01 @ Aug 25 2008, 04:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>If I was Livio Suppo of Ducati I would send Marco on his way since he is going to Kawasaki but get Sete in his seat asap. There is still a chance here for Stoner to win the championship and Sete has a much better chance of running at the top than Melandri does. This would be a good thing for Ducati since Sete has already proven through testing he has a better grip on the machine and could possibly get in between Stoner and Vale. Strategy wise Ducati at this point could do no worse. If Sete does the deed and actually gets in a few races where he disrupts Rossi he might see himself in a good position at Ducati.

i doubt that very much

SuperShinya56 · Aug 25, 2008

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (roger-m @ Aug 25 2008, 02:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>

i doubt that very much

You know how flattered ninja turtle Rossi would be if they did bring in Sete Gibernau to try and ruffle his feathers? That will even motivate him more to destroy Ducati.

Willski · Aug 25, 2008

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ROCKGOD01 @ Aug 25 2008, 04:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>If I was Livio Suppo of Ducati I would send Marco on his way since he is going to Kawasaki but get Sete in his seat asap. There is still a chance here for Stoner to win the championship and Sete has a much better chance of running at the top than Melandri does. This would be a good thing for Ducati since Sete has already proven through testing he has a better grip on the machine and could possibly get in between Stoner and Vale. Strategy wise Ducati at this point could do no worse. If Sete does the deed and actually gets in a few races where he disrupts Rossi he might see himself in a good position at Ducati.

If Sete did replace Marco this year he might be challenging higher up the sharp end than Melandri, but I don't see him causing Rossi too much heartache...

chopperman · Aug 25, 2008

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SuperShinya56 @ Aug 25 2008, 11:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>You know how flattered ninja turtle Rossi would be if they did bring in Sete Gibernau to try and ruffle his feathers? That will even motivate him more to destroy Ducati.
gibbers aint got it in him to ruffle rossi's feathers. if gibbers races the duc this season he wont finish top 10. he retired for 2 years and now you think after that time he will be competitive enough to take on rossi

torro · Aug 26, 2008

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (roger-m @ Aug 26 2008, 12:19 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>gibbers aint got it in him to ruffle rossi's feathers. if gibbers races the duc this season he wont finish top 10. he retired for 2 years and now you think after that time he will be competitive enough to take on rossi

Gibernau may not be fast enough to take on Rossi but is fast enough to cause some very hard moments for Rossi at the beginning of the race. We know Giber can qualify and Rossi is famous for bad starts. Gibernau could make harder to get close to Casey...maybe hard enough, maybe not...but for sure harder than Melandri does this year. In my opinion if something extraordinary does not happen, Ducati can wave goodbye to the WC. They should not have hesitated so much with Giber, by now he would be fast enough to play in the top6.
Ducati's hope could be Toni Elias (to support Stoner) who has the balls, the speed and he is fired up now. We'll see soon his pace in Brno was a result of improving the Duc and himself or not.

Anders · Aug 26, 2008

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (torro @ Aug 26 2008, 10:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Gibernau may not be fast enough to take on Rossi but is fast enough to cause some very hard moments for Rossi at the beginning of the race. We know Giber can qualify and Rossi is famous for bad starts. Gibernau could make harder to get close to Casey...maybe hard enough, maybe not...but for sure harder than Melandri does this year. In my opinion if something extraordinary does not happen, Ducati can wave goodbye to the WC. They should not have hesitated so much with Giber, by now he would be fast enough to play in the top6.
Ducati's hope could be Toni Elias (to support Stoner) who has the balls, the speed and he is fired up now. We'll see soon his pace in Brno was a result of improving the Duc and himself or not.
Gibernau could qualify well enough to be in Rossi's way for a lap or two with some luck on a twisty track.
That's about all he could do about Rossi in my opinion.But before that he would have to get more used to riding and competing.That might take a few races.I would guess Suppo is calculating if Gibernau could finish high enough the remaining races compared to how Melandri would finish. And only think about the Team Championship and Manufacturers Championship to get bonuses and recorgnition(don't know the spelling),to have a better starting point for 2009.Or in short,damage control.
So far Gibernau is maybe not needed,and in that case it's too late to bring him in.

chopperman · Aug 26, 2008

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (torro @ Aug 26 2008, 10:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Gibernau may not be fast enough to take on Rossi but is fast enough to cause some very hard moments for Rossi at the beginning of the race. We know Giber can qualify and Rossi is famous for bad starts. Gibernau could make harder to get close to Casey...maybe hard enough, maybe not...but for sure harder than Melandri does this year. In my opinion if something extraordinary does not happen, Ducati can wave goodbye to the WC. They should not have hesitated so much with Giber, by now he would be fast enough to play in the top6.
Ducati's hope could be Toni Elias (to support Stoner) who has the balls, the speed and he is fired up now. We'll see soon his pace in Brno was a result of improving the Duc and himself or not.

sounds like a desperate stoner fans dream to me..

about 5 mins after making the above post i had a thought. if/when stoner looses the championship this year i wonder how many of his fans will blame melandri

ROCKGOD01 · Aug 26, 2008

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (roger-m @ Aug 26 2008, 10:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>

sounds like a desperate stoner fans dream to me..

about 5 mins after making the above post i had a thought. if/when stoner looses the championship this year i wonder how many of his fans will blame melandri

Why would the blame go to Marco? Capirossi didn't help all that much last year.

surendhar · Aug 26, 2008

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ROCKGOD01 @ Aug 27 2008, 07:22 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Why would the blame go to Marco? Capirossi didn't help all that much last year.

Last Year Casey had all his help from the inefficient Honda and Yamaha bikes. Still Capirossi had much better finishes than Marco.

babelfish · Aug 27, 2008

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Anders GUZZI @ Aug 26 2008, 11:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Gibernau could qualify well enough to be in Rossi's way for a lap or two with some luck on a twisty track.

Well, I doubt he woud be of much use in a technical twisty track, but on tracks like China and Catalunya he might have been. Long curves and few passing possibilities.

torro · Aug 27, 2008

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (roger-m @ Aug 26 2008, 11:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>

sounds like a desperate stoner fans dream to me..

about 5 mins after making the above post i had a thought. if/when stoner looses the championship this year i wonder how many of his fans will blame melandri

Look, for sure I would be happier if Stoner would win the WC but I would prefer if he did it in a real battle like Rossi did it in Laguna. If he is not capable of beating Rossi face to face then Rossi deserves this year´s crown. But Ducati should not think the same, they want to be WC again! That´s why I do not get why they suffer with Marco.
Anyway I do not blame Marco for not helping Stoner, but his Ducati could be a lot more successful in the appropriate hands. Not to mention, that Gibernau´s comeback could bring some old taste and excitement into this quite dull season.
Btw this blaming is interesting, especially in the last two years...some fans were blaming the bike, the tires etc for their rider not getting the WC...this year started with the electronics, the rules...since Laguna these fans changed direction and they seem to be more and more confident, like old times.

chopperman · Aug 27, 2008

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ROCKGOD01 @ Aug 27 2008, 01:52 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Why would the blame go to Marco? Capirossi didn't help all that much last year.
for not being up front taking points out of rossi, some posts on other threads have already implied this.

ROCKGOD01 · Aug 27, 2008

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (roger-m @ Aug 27 2008, 09:10 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>for not being up front taking points out of rossi, some posts on other threads have already implied this.

Ahh I see what you meant. I thought you were referring to development duties.

an4rew · Aug 27, 2008

I think Melandri is getting a good deal out of this, hes getting to keep his ride and won't be rusty for next season.

Andy Roo · Aug 28, 2008

I think to be perfectly fair in the first races of the season where Stoner was having problems anyone and everyone put themselves between him and Rossi. Not that they foresaw the recovery of Stoner in the middle of the season but because it is racing.

Those points lost there may be the most important points in the world to Casey and Valentino as this season plays out.

If Sete gets in there and races with Vale or even puts himself between Casey and Vale when Vale is having a bad race then he has done his job as a teammate and this is what every team there would do. It is nowhere near as Machiavellian as it sounds because there may be two guys (possibly three given a miracle tyre by the French...) racing for the title but there are up to 18 guys racing for every race win or team pride or whatever.

lad · Aug 28, 2008

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Andy Roo @ Aug 28 2008, 07:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I think to be perfectly fair in the first races of the season where Stoner was having problems anyone and everyone put themselves between him and Rossi. Not that they foresaw the recovery of Stoner in the middle of the season but because it is racing.

Those points lost there may be the most important points in the world to Casey and Valentino as this season plays out.

If Sete gets in there and races with Vale or even puts himself between Casey and Vale when Vale is having a bad race then he has done his job as a teammate and this is what every team there would do. It is nowhere near as Machiavellian as it sounds because there may be two guys (possibly three given a miracle tyre by the French...) racing for the title but there are up to 18 guys racing for every race win or team pride or whatever.

I'm baffled as to why marco is still on the bike at all. There seemed to be an amicable agreement for him to stop half way through this season, and now he's off to kwak, so cant understand why gibbers isn't on the thing now????

teomolca · Aug 28, 2008

I don't think Sete is riding a Ducati this season. There was this obvious chance to sub Melandri, but Ducati decided to keep him, and doesn't make sense to do it later if they didn't do it in the break.

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Gibernau not ruling out racing this year

firedice

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ROCKGOD01

chopperman

SuperShinya56

Willski

chopperman

torro

Anders

chopperman

ROCKGOD01

surendhar

babelfish

torro

chopperman

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an4rew

Andy Roo

lad

teomolca

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