Will Gibernau get it together again?

[Knowlesy]

Just been flicking through a few MotoGP races from this season and I can't help but be a little concerned about Sete Gibernau.

Here is a rider who pushed Rossi very hard on fairly equal bikes in 2003. A man who gave the most dominant rider of this era something to think about time and again and looked for all the world like a potential champion.

The same was true for a part of the 2004 season. But from about catalunya onwards, where Rossi beat Sete into the ground on home turf, things seem to have gone very pear shaped.

Sete seemed to lose his confidence a bit for the remainder of the 2004 season and lost the title crushingly to a rampant rossi.

This season, Sete had the chance to start afresh. he looked good in Jerez, but ended up in the gravel. Since then he has tipped into the gravel on numerous occasions, often while leading, seems to have lost his touch in the wet and overall looks totally lost.

He seemingly has no confidence left and is getting beaten by more than just Rossi now.

can Sete recover his form of 2003? Or is he lost forever, a wasted talent? Or was he never that good anyways?

Discuss.

[BootsOntheSide]

Seté's success in 2003 was very surprising considering his past record agaisnt KrJr. Although I'm not religious by any means, I can't help but wonder if someone was riding with him that year in spirit. In 2004 he did at least beat Biaggi on equal machinery, and Hayden/Barros on inferior machinery. That opening round at Jerez probably din'dt help his confidence, neither will falling in the wet while leading in round 2 (not entirely his fault - the leader's always the first to know that the conditions in a certain corner have deteriorated), but it's been surprising to see Melandri often outpacing him, and the advantage he had over Max has gone since Biaggi returned to full fitness. Even Barros on the Pons bike has kept it together a lot more. I can' help but wonder if this is more Seté's level, Honda have a strong line-up this year and chose Max ove rhim for the Repsol ride.

[Knowlesy]

Not sure what you mean there Boots....are you referring to the link with Daijiro Kato? That has crossed my mind before, I must admit.

[ASCII Man]

Sete is an excellent driver, one of the best if his head is strapped on right.
Which happens to be his main weakness, he just has to have some kind of setback like at Catalunya this season for example and he leaves his head hanging, with dissappointing performances as a result...

I hope he gets over it and gets back to top form as soon as possible, but it doesn't look like happening anytime soon IMHO...

[chunder]

I think aswell the Repsol guys are maybe pushing development away from Gresini. Does seem rather stranbge that all of a sudden Max and Nicky are getting slightly better finishes anmd even Marco now has been crashing and losing touch.
I think in relaity though that Sete has no confidenmce at all, he has had a few crashes like Marco and has suffered from that.
I think he still has the ability to get with Vale as does Marco, but they have to get some solid rides in again, toughing it out with Vale and the rest.
Sete is still the only guy you can see actually beating Vale, he has sat there and sat there so many times and been pasted in the last lap, if he can only get that last bit of confidence and speed I am sure he could do it!

[Russfeld]

Oddly enough, imo Sete was most impressive when he had the same bike as Rossi...

[Dan Fielden]

I think that the Rossi incident on the last lap when there was a certain lunge and a few banging elbows reali hasnt helped gibernau at all. His confidence wont be high at all and his fall in donnigton will only do him more harm IMO

[ghinzani]

Oh dear Sete... He did'nt need that. Bet he cant wait for Valentino to change to cars...

[Hazza]

Sete - The new Criville?

Man that race was exciting, you knew SOMETHING was going to happen.

[Knowlesy]

The slide continues. You knew it would happen.

As much as I laud Rossi, I was hoping to herald the return of Sete. Oh dear.

[BootsOntheSide]

Yea, it was inevitable that he would choke under pressure. He got lucky with having a second chance at the start, and with Hayden not quite getting the same perofrmance after the restart, but didn't quite take full advantage.

[JustinDawkins]

Hes and extremely talented and very fast but he suffers from extreme fishichella disease IMO whereby his head just cannot take the pressure and it will get worse (as it seems to be) as his self belief gets less and less.

[robert77]

Has the talent, but not the head to take the pressure. if he could sort that out, he would really be giving Rossi problems.

The way Rossi rides and thinks a racem you could prolly put him back on a 500 2 strok and he'd still whip the pants off everyone.

[f1manoz]

He's tremendously talented and is the only rider out there at the moment who can mix it with Rossi nearly every race. But the mental pressures that goes with - a. being the lead Honda and b. being the lead Spaniard and c. having to cope with Rossi - is doing his head in.

He certainly has gone downhill, that first race would have knocked him for six and he has never recovered. He needs the off-season, and fast.

[SkaifeHRT]

I think it's simple; Rossi has Gibernau totally bluffed. It's a shame, because when he's head is right, he's a handy rider.

[Alex K]

Gibernau had chance of riding in Repsol HRC team this year. He rather wanted to stay with his personal sponsor and ride semi-factory machinery. A little shame, but IMO he would do the same result on Repsol RCV than Biaggi.

[chunder]

Interesting to hear the guys on Euro today saying that Telefonica might disappear altogether from GP racing and head off to Alonso land. Think they are already involved with him anyhow.
Maybe Gresini will be Fortuna colours.
Also heard that Hopkins has a two year deal from Suzook on the table.
And am presuming that Jezza and Aoki are on the Proton and Shakey has gone back to BSB with Stobart coz they both were in respective places!!

[orrmate]

Originally Posted by chunder

Interesting to hear the guys on Euro today saying that Telefonica might disappear altogether from GP racing and head off to Alonso land. Think they are already involved with him anyhow.

They were saying its because pedrosa will be riding with repsol honda next year, so telefonica have basically lost their biggest asset.

[Hazza]

Jezza is infact on the Kurtis Robert's bike from last year.

Shakey is out of work as he's still under contract to KTM (KTM were also paying the tyre bill) and Roberts doesn't want anything to do with KTM.

And Aoki is running as the (3rd) Suzuki wild card.

[luke]

How unlucky can he get?

How cruel.

[SALEEN S7R]

Yeah, a cruel result for Sete. I really thought he might beat Vale this weekend.

[Dani Filth]

not in a million years i'm afraid .

[BootsOntheSide]

Presumably Vale had already gone through when the bike started to have problems? Assumign that's the case, he was well-beaten again, and needs to avoid dwelling on the bad luck and concentrate on working out how to get the better of Rossi, he's got the machinery to do it.

[SALEEN S7R]

Has he got the machinery to do it though? That Yamaha isnt much slower at all than the Hondas in a straight line, the Hondas dont handle anything like as well as the Yamaha either, and I dont think they can brake as late.

[sizzle]

Originally Posted by SALEEN S7R

Has he got the machinery to do it though? That Yamaha isnt much slower at all than the Hondas in a straight line, the Hondas dont handle anything like as well as the Yamaha either, and I dont think they can brake as late.

Not to mention then organic matter sitting atop the Yamaha.