1993: Regional Championship Minibikes, 1st
1994: Regional Championship Minibikes, 5th
1995: Regional Champion Minibikes Runner-up Spanish Championship Minibikes
1996: Regional Champion Minibikes Spanish Minibikes Championship, 2nd Castilla La Mancha Championship 80cc GP, 3rd
1997: Spanish Championship 125GP, 5th Copa Cagiva 125GP, 9th
1998: Copa Aprilia 125 Champion
1999: 125cc Spanish Championship, 12th
2000: 125cc Spanish Championship, 9th
2001: 125cc Spanish Championship, 3rd
2002: 250cc Spanish Championship 250cc World Championship, 23rd
2003: 250cc World Championship, 13th
2004: 250cc World Championship, 17th
2005: 125cc World Championship, 9th
2006: 125cc World Championship, 3rd
2007: 125cc World Championship Runner-up - Aprilia
2008: 250cc World Championship, 14th
2009: 250cc World Championship, 9th
2010: Moto2 World Championship, 26th
2011: 125cc World Championship, 5th

Héctor Faubel is one of a generation of Spanish riders who made the step up to the World Championship thanks to their performances at national level. Born in 1983, Héctor's passion for motorcycles runs in the family - his uncles on both sides of the family were all road racers. Héctor's life on two wheels began at the age of seven on a 60cc Kawasaki, which his father used to take him out on in the area near their home.

He then began riding minibikes at a local go-kart circuit before taking part in his first race, a local event in La Puebla de Vallbona (Valencia). Héctor borrowed a bike to race and he won, going on to compete in the remaining rounds of the regional championship in Valencia and finishing fifth overall.

That was in 1994, when Héctor was only ten years old. He returned to win the championship in 1995, finishing second in the national series, a position he would repeat in 1996 alongside another regional championship title.

In 1997 he was given the opportunity to race in the 125cc Copa Cagiva on a borrowed bike. It was the first time he had ridden in this category and despite being just thirteen years old he finished ninth. It was the first time he had raced in the category and, at the age of 13, he finished the season in ninth place. In 1998 Faubel won the 125cc Aprilia Cup, opening the doors to the 125cc Spanish Championship, where he finished in twelfth place in his debut season. Around the same time the late Ricardo Tormo was putting together a race team and selected a handful of local riders, including Héctor, to contest the 125cc Aprilia Cup.

Héctor won the title but Ricardo Tormo passed away at the end of the season. "I hold very fond memories of Ricardo Tormo," recalls Héctor. "He discovered me and I became a national champion with him at my side. I remember Ricardo as a great person – somebody who always had a lot of knowledge to share and who did so without hesitation." Jorge Martínez Aspar, who had seen Faubel race and was also a great friend of Tormo, signed the youngster up for Team Aspar Airtel. In 2000 Héctor made his Grand Prix debut with his new team and in 2001 he returned to contest the Spanish Championship. In 2002 Héctor made the step up to the 250cc World Championship with Aprilia, as part of a team backed by the Spanish Federation, and he ended the year as Spanish Champion in the category, simultaneously finishing the Grand Prix season in 23rd place. The following season saw Héctor finish a creditable 13th overall but 2004 saw a downturn in fortunes as he could only manage 17th, signalling a return to 125cc racing in 2005. It was actually Héctor's rookie season in the class at World Championship level and he quickly showed signs of his true potential, taking three podium finishes. Despite continual bad luck, which saw him crash out of the lead on two occasions, he finished ninth overall. 2006 was a great season for Héctor, especially the final round, when he took victory in his home race at Cheste and sealed third place in the championship with a tally of two wins, two second places and a third. That achievement marked him out as one of the title favourites for 2007, a season he would tackle on board an Aprilia RSA as a Bancaja Aspar rider. With a total of five wins and eight further podiums (eight second places and six thirds) he was one of the standout riders in the championship, only missing out on the title by five points to his team-mate Gabor Talmacsi in an intense finale to the season. For the following season Héctor returned to the quarter-litre class but this time with top level technical and human support, staying with the Master-Mapfre Aspar outfit to ride a 250cc Aprilia alongside a World Champion in the shape of Álvaro Bautista. The season didn't live up to expectations and he suffered two further difficult years in 2009 and 2010, when he struggled to find the right blend of team and machinery to fully exploit his potential.

As such in 2011 he will return to the 125cc class and to the Aspar Team garage, where he became runner-up in the category in 2007. Héctor has a smile back on his face and the determination to fulfil the dream that slipped through his fingers three years ago. Alongside him will be a friend and fellow Valencian in the shape of Nico Terol. Hector combines racing with physical training at the Cheste circuit gymnasium, where he has been working with a personal trainer, and English lessons in the afternoon. He relaxes by spending his free time with family and friends in Lliria. He also enjoys playing on his PlayStation, going to the cinema and going out with friends. He lives with his parents in the town of his birth, Lliria, which is also close to the team's base.

WEIGHT: 60 kg HEIGHT: 169 cm PLACE OF BIRTH: Líria (Valencia) FAVOURITE WOMAN'S NAME: Nica FAVOURITE BOOK: "The postman" Charles Bukowski FAVOURITE FILM: "300" FAVOURITE ACTRESS: Charlize Theron FAVOURITE ACTOR: Adrien Brody FAVOURITE SONG, SINGER OR GROUP: 50 cent FAVOURITE CAR: BMW M3 FAVOURITE BIKE: Aprilia RSV Mille YOUR FIRST BIKE: Mini Bike ZPF FAVOURITE FOOD: Paella FAVOURITE ANIMAL: Dog FAVOURITE COLOUR: Red FAVOURITE NUMBER: 55 FAVOURITE DAY: Saturday FAVOURITE SEASON: Summer FAVOURITE ANECDOTE: Someone gave me a racoon BIGGEST RIVAL: All 125 riders FAVOURITE COUNTRY FOR A HOLIDAY: Australia SEA OR MOUNTAIN: Both ANOTHER SPORT: Mountain Bike FAVOURITE SPORTSMAN: Michael Jordan TV, RADIO, PRESS OR INTERNET: Internet A MOMENT TO REMEMBER: My first podium in Estoril (2005) and my victory in Cheste (2007) A MOMENT TO FORGET: A crash in Mugello when I was near to the win 3 THINGS YOU WOULD TAKE TO A DESERT ISLAND: Jet-ski, a knife and a girl WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE BEEN IF YOU WEREN'T A RIDER?: Designer WHAT DO YOU PLAN TO DO IN THE FUTURE?: Win in 125cc category again HOBBIES: Sports, motorbikes, cinema and shopping FAVOURITE CIRCUIT AND WHY: Cheste, my home.