Gimbert began racing competitively in the early 1990s in French domestic championships. He won the French 250cc Championship in 1996 and 1997, demonstrating consistent front-running pace at national level. Those results earned him a transition to international Grand Prix competition, where he competed in the 500cc World Championship in 1998 and 1999 aboard a privately entered Honda NSR500V, finishing 30th and 19th overall respectively. In 2000 he raced in both the 500cc Grand Prix series and the 250cc World Championship without breaking into the front-running order, reflecting the steep step from domestic to full world championship competition.
From 2002 onward, Gimbert found his natural home in endurance racing. Riding a Suzuki GSX-R1000, he won the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2002, then followed that with victories at the 24 Hours of Spa and the Bol d'Or in 2003 alongside a second place at Le Mans. These results established him as a leading force in the EWC. In 2004, competing on a Yamaha YZF-R1, he helped his team to the FIM Endurance World Championship title — the peak result of his international career.
Gimbert's strong endurance performances led Yamaha Motor France to sign him as a factory-supported rider for the Superbike World Championship in 2005. Racing the Yamaha YZF-R1, he finished 16th overall in 2005 and 19th in 2006 without securing a top-ten race result. His best moment at Magny-Cours in 2004, before his WSBK appointment, had seen him record a pair of fourth-place finishes despite slow starts — performances that caught the factory's attention. He returned to the WSBK paddock for 2008, finishing 29th overall, and contested the Supersport World Championship in 2007, finishing 20th overall.
Alongside his endurance and world championship work, Gimbert remained a force in the French Superbike Championship. He won the national title in 2009 aboard a Yamaha YZF-R1, then switched to BMW equipment and claimed two more French Superbike titles in 2011 and added further podium finishes in 2010 and 2012. He also finished second in the French Superbike Championship in 2003, 2012, and 2014, and third in 2015 — demonstrating consistency over a remarkably sustained domestic campaign.
In the Endurance World Championship, he continued to score results through the 2010s, finishing second in 2011 and 2012 on the BMW S1000RR before transitioning to Honda CBR1000RR machinery. He also won the 2007 Bol d'Or, adding to his collection of victories at endurance racing's marquee events.
Gimbert's career illustrates the particular demands of FIM Endurance World Championship racing, where managing machinery over 24-hour stints requires a different skill set than sprint racing. His 2004 EWC title, combined with victories at Le Mans, Spa, and the Bol d'Or, places him among the most decorated endurance racers of his generation. His longevity — competing at front-running level from the mid-1990s through the mid-2010s across multiple championship formats — reflects a professionalism and adaptability that few riders match. The breadth of his results, from national 250cc titles to world-level endurance victories, makes him a notable figure in the history of French motorcycle racing.