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MOTOGP: Huge Step Forward For Hayden
Written by: Colin Young   
06/12/2009
Barcelona (ESP)
 
Ducati Marlboro's Nicky Hayden (Photo: Ducati Corse) ยป More Photos

Nicky Hayden is in an upbeat mood in advance of Sunday's Catalunya Grand prix in Barcelona with signs that he is making progress with his adaptation to the Ducati GP9.

After months of frustrating under-performance compared to his teammate Casey Stoner, Hayden has switched to a new set-up that was recently uncovered by Ducati test rider Vito Guareschi during trials at Mugello.

With a different wheelbase and front-end weight transfer Hayden is feeling a lot more comfortable and he can push harder on a bike noted for its unfriendly rear-end pumping and weaving under acceleration.

Getting the Ducati turned in fast corners, of which there are many at Barcelona, has also been a frustrating
problem.

Hayden was refreshed to be in be the top six in opening practice, just over 0.5s behind Stoner in third, rather than struggling towards the back end of the time sheets.

"When I’m fast on this bike, it’s not easy, because if it was easier you’d go faster," Hayden said. "But any time I’ve been in the top five, the faster you go the more comfortable it feels and the more you risk your life.

"You can be three seconds off the pace and it just feels like it’s not possible to find another tenth. But then when you get close, within a second, I think, 'God, I could’ve been faster if I’d just done this and that.'


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