Gibernau hits out at Valentino Rossi: "No one said anything to him"

Certain on-track battles last forever; they leave scars, sometimes lifelong resentments. Like what happened to Sete Gibernau, who said goodbye to MotoGP in 2009. The Catalan rider never managed to win a world title, though he came close in 2002–2003. In his book of memories there are certainly a few duels with Valentino Rossi that left their mark...

His rivalry with the Doctor definitely shaped his career, leaving marks that he’ll carry for life. So much so that he often brings it up in interviews, but never as much as he did recently on the Gypsy Tale podcast. This time Gibernau dredged up what happened at the 2005 Spanish GP in a deep and candid way, showing just how alive his resentment toward former rival Valentino Rossi still is.

Sete has always accused him of an overly aggressive riding style, with race directors letting things slide to the point where certain contacts became normalized. In his view, the Tavullia champion clearly crossed the line at Jerez in 2005, when Rossi forced the Spaniard—then on a Honda—off the track to secure the win. "He hit me at the last corner. I ended up off the track." But what bothered him most was the lack of a penalty for the Yamaha rider. "He didn’t receive any punishment. That’s when I started to lose faith in this sport."

MotoGP is, by nature, an extreme sport. A single contact, an extreme maneuver can put athletes’ lives at risk. After all, the history of two wheels is full of fatal accidents and tears... "It’s not a contact sport," Sete Gibernau continued. "It’s already dangerous enough without being able to hit someone and call it bravery. If I were a parent watching the race on TV, I wouldn’t want my child taking part in a championship like that."

Finally, a harsh jab at former rival Valentino Rossi... "It was always like that. In 2003, in 2004, in 2005, it was always me and Vale. And I couldn’t understand how this wasn’t considered a contact sport. Rossi didn’t need to do what he did to win, and no one said anything to him... Why accept it from someone like Valentino, a superstar? I think it was wrong. He wasn’t obliged to do it... The kids saw it and said: that’s how it’s done. And then Marc does it to this one, to that one, and to the other, and they destroy you in the race."

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