Sete Gibernau’s Ducati deal finalised

Sete Gibernau’s shock return to the MotoGP world championship will be confirmed on the eve of the final round in Valencia next week.

The Onde 2000 team confirmed today in Sepang that an announcement about Gibernau’s return to action for the first time since 2006 would be confirmed at a special team launch on Thursday.

Gibernau decided he wanted to step out of retirement having tested for Ducati earlier this season. He was also linked with Kawasaki and Gresini Honda, but will join the Onde 2000 squad to ride a fifth GP9 machine next to Casey Stoner, Nicky Hayden, Mika Kallio and Niccolo Canepa.

As expected, Pablo Nieto will run the squad after he confirmed in Malaysia this morning that he will retire from racing at the end of the season.

He will co-manage the new Ducati team, which will swell the MotoGP grid to 19 bikes, with his brother Gelete.