Pablo Nieto followed the path of his legendary father Angel into competitive motorcycling, but only after obeying the former 12+1 World Champion and finishing his studies first. He began racing minibikes in '95, competing in several Cagiva Cup races the following year and moving into the 125 European Championship in 1997. He made his first Grand Prix appearance in 1998 and went on to establish himself with Derbi over the next three seasons alongside Youichi Ui. Rookie of the Year in 1999, 'El Chiquitin' has built himself a reputation as an exciting but inconsistent performer. He took three podium finishes in 2002, before clinching his first GP victory in 2003 at Estoril. After three seasons on Aprilia machinery from 2002 to 2004, he moved back to the Derbi Racing team in 2005 a bid to fight for the title, but he ended up finishing a disappointing 13th overall. His move to Multimedia Racing last year resulted in another 13th placed finish. It was anticipated that Nieto might ride in the 250 championship this year with Blusens Aprilia, but he and the team eventually decided that he would be more successful remaining in the lower cylinder class. He will partner Hugo van den Berg in the paddock this season.