Gibernau still defiant.

After falling from the lead of the Portuguese Grand Prix almost two weeks ago, dropping him from second to fifth in the early world championship chase, some may have expected Sete Gibernau to be in a slightly apologetic or regretful mood heading into this weekend's inaugural Chinese Grand Prix - but the Movistar Honda rider remains defiant.

"I've never been so strong," he declared. "Thanks to the work done with the Team, HRC, Honda and Michelin, compared to last year I have grown and matured another year of experience.

"During the first two GPs I have proved to be a stronger rider," he continued. "Together with the team we did an incredible job and it is a real shame to not have been able to gain those precious points we hoped for. I think we did the most for what we could control.

"Even during the Portuguese GP we worked at the top level, proof being the large advantage I acquired compared to the rest of the group. I was conducing the race with a 1.2-second advantage over Alex Barros, and 11-seconds on Valentino Rossi.

"I couldn't have done more and I paid because I was leading the race. Being the race leader I had no point of reference when it started to rain, the racing conditions were really difficult.

"In the end we've paid for it because the other riders saw the crash and dropped their pace by three seconds," commented Sete, producing evidence to back up his bad luck claim.

After Portugal, Gibernau spent a few days resting in Switzerland to undergo further rehabilitation therapy to his left shoulder - which had been hurt during contact with Valentino Rossi on the last lap of the Spanish GP, and was further aggravated at Estoril.

The Spaniard should be near to full fitness this weekend, should he avoid further knocks, and is as eager as as anyone for a fresh start on the brand new Shanghai circuit.

"The only aspect we know of this track is the design of it," he admitted. "The distinctive characteristics seem to be the two long straights, and the two 360? corners, but the track still remains a big unknown. We will only be fully aware of our situation when we begin the first practice session.

"Not being able to undergo winter testing here, this Shanghai track will be a real challenge for both the teams and the riders. We all begin from scratch; there are no reference points for the bikes. It will be important to try and understand the track as quickly as possible in order to find the correct setting.

"We only have 4 practice sessions; these hours will be decisive for the starting grid, learning to interpret the track, finding the right setup and being as competitive as possible. I am curious to race in China, an interesting country with a lot of tradition," Gibernau concluded.