In a slightly bizzare manner, Nicky Hayden is responsible for the latest bit of news and photo leak from the MotoGP paddock. Making a stop in Bologna to celebrate the holidays with the Ducati Corse crew, in route to India to help open a Ducati store, Hayden got a chance to see the new Ducati GP10 race bike up-close. Armed with a cell phone, and a little indiscretion, the American rider snapped a photo of the new bike, posted the photo to his personal website, and there you have it.


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Nicky Hayden’s Ducati 848 replica has proved to be popular selling out quickly and now the Ducati MotoGP star has taken delivery of his own personal machine. Pity about his choice in riding garb!!!

It is no secret that Nicky Hayden has had a year so far on the factory Marlboro Ducati that has met neither his nor the factory’s expectations. In his first comments since having his contract renewed for 2010 with the MotoGP team, he talks about his season so far and his highlight is not what you might expect.

Uncertainty over whether Ducati would exercise it’s option over Nicky Hayden persisted until the very last moment as the team was in turmoil with it’s star rider, and one time championship leader Casey Stoner, out for 3 races with a mystery illness. As a result the factory were trying to offer Nicky’s seat to almost anyone including Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa and Loris Capirossi.

Nicky Hayden:- “I always wondered what it would be like to be a Ducati rider and now I know very well. It’s everything I ever hoped it would be and more. This truly is a special brand with many special people. It has not always been the smoothest transition if I am truthful with everybody and the results haven’t been great, but this has allowed me to see both sides of the people and I can say that they have been right on point with their treatment of me, on the good days and the bad days.”

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Rossi Puts his Team-mate in his Place

Valentino Rossi reasserted himself at the top of the leader board by convincingly beating his younger team-mate, Jorge Lorenzo, by 2.4 seconds during the San Marino MotoGP at Misano after besting him in every practice and qualifying session. Lorenzo finished second to trail Rossi by 30 points in the championship whilst Dani Pedrosa took the final spot on the podium. It was a mixed day for Ducati fans with newly re-signed Nicky Hayden knocked off on the first corner of the first lap whilst Mika Kallio finished a creditable 7th.

At his home circuit the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) sported a ‘The Donkey’ helmet making fun of his rare mistake last weekend at Indianapolis. Pedrosa bolted from the start and took some passing but as soon as Rossi began to pull away at the front, Lorenzo was past too and the two of them quickly dropped the Repsol Honda man. Elias, racing like he needed a job, stayed up the front for the first few laps but went slowly backwards as first Andrea Dovizioso and then a fast riding Loris Capirossi on the Suzuki went by.


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Ducati Marlboro Team riders Nicky Hayden and Mika Kallio are confident of putting on a performance to delight the thousands of Ducatisti in the crowd at tomorrow’s San Marino Grand Prix after qualifying sixth and eleventh respectively in this afternoon’s qualifying session. Hayden was the second fastest rider on track in the first and final sections of the Misano circuit but, like yesterday, he struggled with the fast right-hander in T3. However, on his penultimate lap the American shaved two tenths off his previous best through that sector alone to improve his overall best time by three tenths and move up to the second row for the second successive race. Kallio also made progresses but not enough to improve his position on the time sheets and the Finn will start from row four.


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If Ducati had great confidence in Nicky Hayden for 2010 MotoGP season it would have announced it was executing it’s 1 year option last Friday at Indianapolis. Or at least by the expiration of the option which was September 1st right? After all he put the Ducati on the podium. What’s up?

It is no secret that Nicky has struggled to come to grips with the Ducati GP9 this season and his recent results which included a podium at Indy have only partially offset his general lack of pace compared to his team-mate Casey Stoner.

It isn’t for want of trying. Hayden impressed Ducati management with his focussed approach to getting up to speed on the bike but when it became clear that his race results were mirroring his fairly ordinary pre-season testing it was time for change.


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Hayden Puts the Ducati on the Box

For Ducati fans the first podium for Nicky Hayden was the major news from the running of the 12th round of the MotoGP World Championship at Indianapolis. The American took advantage of a rare occasion where both pole sitter Dani Pedrosa and Championship leader Valentino Rossi fell early in the race. Nicky wasn’t the only rider to capitalize with Jorge Lorenzo taking the win and closing back to within 25 points of Rossi, whilst Alex De Angelis took his first ever MotoGP podium with 2nd place.

Pedrosa set off at the lights as everyone expected. The Honda man had looked unbeatable in every session including the rain. Rossi and Lorenzo gave chase only for Pedorsa to crash out early in the 4th lap in a bizarre event that saw him lose the front just on the exit of a right hander as he tried to lift the bike up and over to set up for the following tight left.


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After taking 2nd fastest in the rain during yesterday’s first practice session, Ducati’s Nicky Hayden dropped back in the field to log the 7th fastest time this morning during the second session and ahead of this afternoon’s qualifying. Dani Pedrosa had no such problems switching from wet to dry conditions and remains at the top, the only rider into the 1′40″ range.


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The MotoGP World Championship returned to Indianapolis today and was again struck by the wet weather curse that saw last year’s race cancelled with eight laps remaining. Thankfully there was no sign of the high winds from twelve months ago and the first free practice session went ahead without delay, with the impressive Nicky Hayden and stand-in team-mate Mika Kallio lapping second and eleventh fastest respectively in the soaking conditions.


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With the fracas surrounding the potential for Jorge Lorenzo to join the team put to bed yesterday, Ducati can now focus on its program for the remainder of the year. Many issues remain to be solved. Can Nicky Hayden finally get up to speed on the red bike and will he be signed for next year? Or will rookie Mika Kallio shine at Indy? And is Casey Stoner on the road to recovery?


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