Sete Gibernau stunned by team withdrawal

Veteran Spaniard Sete Gibernau has spoken of his shock at the sudden withdrawal of his Grupo Francisco Hernando MotoGP squad.

The Spanish team has quit with immediate effect, citing the impact of the worldwide financial meltdown on its shock decision.

The withdrawal was confirmed yesterday (Sunday) and plunged the MotoGP world championship into a fresh crisis, with Gibernau’s squad quitting just six months after Kawasaki withdrew its official factory team.

The Grupo Francisco Hernando withdrawal though almost certainly means the end of Gibernau’s career, with the 36-year-old only returning to racing in 2009 after stepping out of retirement.

Gibernau, winner of nine MotoGP races, said he was stunned by the decision to quit. “The person most surprised by this decision was me. Everyone in the team worked hard to keep the project on track.

“On a personal level, it was a brave gamble, taken with the hope of building a successful project that would achieve targets we had set for ourselves as each Grand Prix passed, “said Gibernau, who had only scored a best of 11th on his return to action.

He added: “It’s truly a pity that we are forced to abandon the project at this stage, just when we were convinced we were on the verge of achieving the results we were looking for.

“I’d like to thank the team, my personal sponsors, the fans and all the press, the treatment I have received, which has repaid in full the hard work and efforts that I have put in to return to racing after two years out of the world championship.

“Your support has made me be happy to be racing in MotoGP again.”