Gibernau to announce retirement?

Former Ducati Marlboro rider and nine-times MotoGP race winner, Sete Gibernau, has called a press conference for Wednesday morning - when it is rumoured that he will announce his retirement.

The 33-year-old, Valentino Rossi's closest title rival during 2003 and 2004, has lost his factory Ducati ride to rising star Casey Stoner for 2007 and, with the only known seats left being at the new Ilmor team, Sete is expected to announce at least a 'year off' from grand prix racing.

Gibernau, the grandson of Don Paco Bulto - founder of Spain's Bultaco motorcycle firm - was Spanish Junior Champion in 1991 and made his full time 250GP debut in 1996 after being signed by former triple world champion Wayne Rainey, with whom Sete graduated to the premier 500cc class, on Yamaha machinery, the following season.

A switch to a V-Twin Repsol Honda for 1998 produced a debut podium and Gibernau was then handed Mick Doohan's V4 after the Australian's career-ending accident early in 1999. Gibernau took the five-times world champion's bike to four podiums and fifth in the championship, but struggled during 2000 and switched to Suzuki for 2001 - resulting in an emotional debut victory at Valencia.

But Suzuki suffered badly during the first year of the new four-stroke 990cc machines in 2002 and Gibernau left for a satellite Honda ride with the Gresini team the following season. When Gibernau's star team-mate Daijiro Kato was tragically killed in the first race of 2003, Sete dug deep and took his first RCV victory at the very next race.

Three further victories followed, including a perfect last corner pass to beat Rossi in Germany, and Gibernau finished the season second only to the factory Honda rider, but the animosity between the pair was growing - particularly as Gibernau felt he deserved more factory support in return for his performances.

That HRC support began to increase after Rossi defected to Yamaha at the end of 2003 and Gibernau began 2004 with two victories from the first three rounds, but Rossi caught the Catalan at the top of the championship standings by round six and by the time the now infamous Qatar Grand Prix, round thirteen, the Italian held a dominant 39 point lead.

Gibernau went on to win that race, but the big news was that Rossi (and Honda's Max Biaggi) had been dropped to the back of the grid for illegal grid cleaning overnight. Members of Rossi's Yamaha team were seen laying rubber on his grid slot with a scooter, and were reported to race control by the Honda and Ducati teams. Rightly or wrongly, Rossi blamed Gibernau for this 'unsporting action' and, after then falling from the race, furiously declared that Gibernau 'would not win again'.

Rossi later said that he was referring to that season, but 'the curse' - as it came to be known - was never lifted and Gibernau went on to suffer extraordinary bad luck the following season, which started with fireworks when Rossi brutally pushed Gibernau out of the lead at the very last corner of the Jerez season opener.

In all, Gibernau suffered seven DNFs that year - due to both accidents and technical problems - but at least underlined his continued speed with five pole positions, helping him secure a factory Ducati ride for 2006.

Unfortunately, Gibernau's bad luck followed him to the Desmosedici and, although he led 18 laps and put Ducati on pole position for its home Mugello round, Sete suffered repeated injuries, missed races as a result and ended the season without a podium.

It now remains to be seen what his plans will be for 2007, but retirement seems the most likely, since the #15 has shown little interest in switching to another championship and will not be willing to make up the numbers on an uncompetitive machine.

Sete's only slim hope of racing next year will be if the Pons team can secure the funding and motorcycles needed for a return to MotoGP, after sitting out the 2006 season.

Gibernau had a brief test on the 2007-spec 800cc Ducati shortly after the Japanese Grand Prix - and lapped almost half a second faster than team-mate Loris Capirossi, who had ridden the bike previously, but it was ultimately not enough to convince Ducati to retain his services.