Rennie Scaysbrook | January 10, 2024
Updated news from our report from January 10, 2024. Unfortunately, Anthony Gobert passed away on January 17, 2024. You can read more information about Gobert’s passing here.
One of the most talented and polarizing riders ever to grace the world championship grid, Australia’s Anthony Gobert, has been hospitalized in Australia due to an ongoing illness undisclosed by the Gobert family at this time.
A brief Facebook post shared by Anthony’s younger brother, Aaron, read, “It is with sadness that we have to announce that Anthony is currently hospitalized in palliative care and is in the final stages of his life following a short illness – please be aware that we will provide any available updates in due course. During this difficult time, the videos of Anthony being distributed during what has been an extremely troubled period of his life are deeply concerning, however, on behalf of Anthony, we must thank his many supporters from throughout his racing career.”
Gobert, the eldest of the three Gobert brothers alongside Aaron and Alex, who all competed with distinction in the AMA Superbike Championships in the 2000s, was widely regarded as one of the most talented riders of his generation.
Anthony Gobert during his short-lived 500cc Grand Prix stint in 1997.
After winning numerous Australian motocross and supercross championships, he switched to road racing in 1992 and went on to win the 1994 Australian Superbike Championship for Honda at his first attempt.
A famous win for Muzzy Kawasaki as a wildcard rookie at Phillip Island’s 1994 WorldSBK round saw him move full-time into WorldSBK, riding for Rob Muzzy between 1995 and 1997 before switching to Lucky Strike Suzuki for the 1997 500cc World Championship.
That move didn’t last the full season after he lost his ride due to testing positive for marijuana. Gobert then moved to the AMA Championship for the next eight seasons, riding for teams such as Vance and Hines Ducati and the factory Yamaha team.
Gobert returned to Australia in 2005 and raced sporadically until 2007 in the Australian Superbike Championship before disappearing from public life in 2008.
He has been seen and heard from on only a couple of occasions since as he continued to battle substance abuse but a recent slew of videos in which Anthony is almost recognizable have given great concern to the Gobert family, who have asked for privacy at this time.
We will have more updates for you as they become available.
