MOTOGP » Gibernau 'very fast', but will he race?

I've read more than one article / interview that the current HRC riders / teams do not share information. Anyway, would love to see Sete back in fray: especially if he can add some excitement to this boring season.

The painful thing is, Marco's a great rider. He's won some great races, wet and dry and on his day he's right up there, but he's been dubbed "random number generator" for a reason - sometimes he just falls off the radar.

He did it at Yamaha, Honda, and now spectacularly at Ducati. It can't be the machinery when it happens on three totally different bikes (admitedly the Yam and Honda were satellites). He struggled with the 2006 Honda 990, which won the championship and was considered the best on the grid.

I hope he either miraculously clicks with the Duc, or finds a bike, ANY bike which gives him confidence and gets his head right again. It'd be criminal to lose him.

Gibs on the Duc? hmm

Why is Stoner the only rider capable of being competetive? It cant be Melandri as all 3 Ducs are at the back? Ducati will put Sete on the bike this year to prove the bike is quick but he wont ride next year, he is 35, they would do better to tempt Bayliss back for one last year.That would be cool. Melandri should leave asap and get on a Kwak and beat his old bike and Westy to prove himself before he ends up with Bayliss' old bike, now theres a thought????????

Very much hope that Sete is drafted back into the Ducati team. It's important that a 2nd Ducati rider starts taking points away from Vale and Dani if Casey is to mount a serious championship challenge. For info... the bike set up data belongs to the team not the riders. The riders can not stop the data being shared should the team so wish.

Why is it so sad to lose Melandri? There are sooo many other riders out there capable of being much, much more consistent, as FreQ pointed out. He is a head case and a waif

Ive said it before and will again, Hayden and the GP9 are meant for each other...even Sete's observation that you need lots of focus and muscle for the Duc's, things that Hayden is known for when riding bikes

Stoner has proven the constant gas-on-dirt track-sliding style fits it wonderfully, and that is exactly the style that Hayden finds to be succesful. I like Sete and his spirit, but at his age, he is just a temporary fix to a long term solution need

who else currently in the curcuit fits the Duc's better?

I doubt Gibernau being back is to mix it with the top runners - its for development. As I have mentioned before - Stoner is an excellent rider, but it took Gibbers to ride the bike a few weeks ago to sort the problems and make it the winning bike that it was last year. Ducati dont have any development riders at the minute, they lost Capirex & Gibbers and look what happened!!! Gibbers came back - sorted the electronics and its back to business. Well done Sete!

djh is correct. Sete is the ideal rider for Ducati at this moment. Fast enough to prove the bike is competitive and it's not just a weird occurence its pairing with Stoner and -hopefully for them- not fast enough to really challenge Stoner and compromise his title chances for next year. Furthermore, he is a guy with great experience and ability to set-up a bike, an ability that which might be lacking a bit at the Ducati camp right now.

If nothing else Sete provides a bit of amusement for the journalists and who can ever forget "Rossi's Curse"? He certainly can't do a worse job than Melandri has this year.

Yep, duc need to see another rider riding the bike well, or they won't be able to fill the seats next year, except with people who already believe they've lost.....

Gibernau should be given the ride effective immediately.
I always thought Melandri was very over-rated, only able to ride a bike fully developed by someone else.
Not a long term solution - Canepa for 2009, then two young guns not afraid to go for it. Mouthwatering!