Infamous Valentino Rossi incident led to one rival “losing my faith” in MotoGP

Sete Gibernau says the clash with Valentino Rossi at the 2005 MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix and a lack of penalty was “when I started to lose my faith in the sport”.

Sete Gibernau versus Valentino Rossi remains one of MotoGP’s most iconic rivalries, with the pair engaging in numerous fierce battles during the early to mid-2000s.

One battle in particular, during the 2005 Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez, stands as their most notable skirmish.

In a thrilling duel, the fight for victory came down to the final corner, with Rossi making contact with Gibernau and forcing him off the circuit.

Gibernau was furious at the time, while Rossi escaped without any sanction.

In an interview with Moto.it, Gibernau opens up on his emotions about that incident now and how he viewed it at the time.

“Yes, he hit me on the last corner,” he said when asked about Jerez 2005.

“I ended up off the track. Yes [I finished second], but he didn’t receive any punishment. That’s when I started to lose my faith in the sport.

“It was always like this, you know. In 2003, Vale and I, in 2004 Vale and I, and in 2005 again. And I couldn’t understand how; this wasn’t a contact sport.

“I couldn’t understand how. Things happened in the championship, things that happened internally and everything, and I just lost it.

“I started to lose my illusion of racing.”

Gibernau critical of the legacy Rossi’s aggression has left

Gibernau remains critical of what he believes is the legacy Rossi’s aggressive battles - particularly Jerez 2005 - left for the younger generation of rider.

“Everyone is brave on a MotoGP bike.

“Moto3, Moto2, MotoGP, from the first to the last guy. You can't point to TV and say how brave this guy was by hitting another guy.

“Because if I'm a father watching, I wouldn't want my son to be in a championship like that.

“Because bravery isn't about hitting another guy. If you want to do that, go box.

“From a guy like Valentino, who's a superstar, why accept this? I think it was wrong, in my opinion.

“He didn't need to do it. A lot has happened since then because of that move [at Jerez in 2005]. Because the guys saw it and said, ‘This is the way to do it’.

“And then Marc [Marquez] does it to this guy, and the other guy does it to the other guy, and you get killed in racing.

"It’s already dangerous. We should stay away from this. And that's why I never understood, and I got to a point where I said, ‘Wow, man, this has nothing to do with me anymore’. And I left racing and retired with another year on my contract with Ducati.”