Date and place of birth: 15/12/1972, Barcelona

Age: 32

Nationality: Spanish

Residence: Switzerland

Weight: 70kg

Height: 177cm

 

Sporting Biography

 

1984: Competitive debut riding a trial bike

1990: Gilera Cup

1991: Junior Champion in Spanish and Catalunya Championships

1992: 250cc European Championship

1993: 3^rd in 250cc Spanish Championship (Yamaha)

1994: 5^th in 250cc Spanish Championship (Yamaha)

1995: 3^rd in 250cc Spanish Championship (Yamaha)

1996: 22^nd in 250cc World Championship (Honda)

1997: 13^th in 500cc World Championship (Yamaha)

1998: 11^th in 500cc World Championship (Honda)

1999: 5^th in 500cc World Championship (Honda)

2000: 15^th in 500cc World Championship (Honda)

2001: 9^th in 500cc World Championship (Suzuki)

2002: 16^th in MotoGP World Championship (Suzuki)

2003: 2^nd in MotoGP World Championship (Honda)

2004: 2^nd in MotoGP World Championship (Honda)

 

 

Career in detail

 

1st GP:	1992 Spanish GP (250cc)
1st Pole:	2000 South African GP (500cc)
1st Podium:	1998 Madrid GP (500cc)
1st Victory:	2001 Valencia GP (500cc)
Full seasons:	9 (1996-2004)
GP appearances:	143 (19 in 250cc, 124 in 500/MotoGP)
Victories:	9 (1 in 500 cc, 8 in MotoGP)
Second place:	10 (1 in 500, 9 in MotoGP)
Third place:	7 (4 in 500, 3 in MotoGP)
Total podiums:	26 (6 in 500, 20 in MotoGP)
Poles:	7 (1 in 500, 6 in MotoGP)
Fastest laps:	7 (3 in 500, 4 in MotoGP)

 

 

World Championship statistics

 

Season	Category	Factory	Classification	Points
1996	250cc	Honda	22nd	20
1997	500cc	Yamaha	13th	56
1998	500cc	Honda	11th	72
1999	500cc	Honda	5th	165
2000	500cc	Honda	15th	72
2001	500cc	Suzuki	9th	119
2002	MotoGP	Suzuki	16th	51
2003	MotoGP	Honda	2nd	277
2004	MotoGP	Honda	2nd	257

 

 

Personal Biography

 

Sete Gibernau, grandson of the founder of Bultaco, Don Paco Bulto, spent his childhood around motorcycles. With made-to-measure bikes built by his grandfather, Sete learnt to ride at virtually the same time he learnt to walk.

 

After taking part in several motocross and trial events, in 1990 Gibernau finally decided to try his luck in road racing, taking part in the Gilera Cup. After then progressing through the Spanish and European Championships, he made his World Championship debut in 1996 with a private team and halfway through the season was selected by Wayne Rainey to ride a factory 250cc Yamaha.

 

Under the tutelage of the former 500cc World Champion, Sete stepped up to the premier-class in 1997 and finished thirteenth in the overall standings. A twist of fate saw him move to Honda the following season, riding a twin-cylinder machine in the factory team. In 1999 he would move up to the V4 vacated by Mick Doohan, who had been forced to retire from racing through injury. His form that season surpassed all expectations, taking four podiums and sealing an extension to his contract with Repsol Honda alongside Alex Crivillé and Tadayuki Okada in 2000. Unfortunately his results that season did not match up to the previous year and Sete was unable to finish any higher than fifteenth in the final standings.

 

In 2001, as part of the factory Suzuki team decked out in TELEFÓNICA MOVISTAR colours, Gibernau clinched his first ever World Championship victory. After one more season with Suzuki, riding the four-stroke GSV-R, Sete finally linked up with Fausto Gresini. After a tragic start to the season, which began with the loss of his team-mate Daijiro Kato, Sete paid tribute with an emotional victory in Welkom to spark an exciting and successful season. With a total of ten podiums and four victories, Sete finished second in the 2003 MotoGP World Championship with more points than any other runner-up in the history of the sport. Gibernau began the 2004 season as one of the favourites for the title, as the top Honda rider and the only man capable of challenging Valentino Rossi at every round of the championship.  Sete’s statistics speak for themselves: ten podiums in sixteen races, including four victories. It was the year that Gibernau matured as a rider and gathered the experience to launch an even stronger challenge for the premier-class title in 2005.