After a disastrous year with a Honda satellite MotoGP team, Sete Gibernau has moved to Ducati MotoGP as a teammate of Loris Capirossi for 2006. Something tells me Gibernau will fit in well with Ducati, and has a good opportunity to get his career back on track.
Gibernau, of course, was viewed as the primary rival to Valentino Rossi for several years prior to 2005. As such, despite the fact that he was not a Repsol rider, Gibernau received many factory parts unavailable to many Honda riders. However, development of the Honda MotoGP bike was never centered around Gibernau or his needs.
Gibernau will clearly receive more factory attention at Ducati, and will have more input on bike development. Despite a difficult 2005 season, there is no reason to believe Gibernau has lost the skills that allowed him to nip at Rossi’s heels in the past. With Bridgestone tires on the rise, Gibernau could find quite a bit of success with Ducati in 2006.
