Click here to watch Nicky’s interview with MotoGP.com after testing.
Despite still feeling the slight after effects of arm surgery from two weeks ago, Nicky Hayden made impressive progress on the Desmosedici GP10 of the Ducati Marlboro team at the Sepang test.
Not entirely happy with how things went on the opening day, Friday was a far more satisfying session for Hayden as he set a time of 2’00.703 – the third fastest of the test as the new engine in his GP10 prototype showed its competitiveness.
“I am obviously really happy because the changes we made yesterday afternoon that enabled me to go a couple of tenths faster despite the heat have proved to work even better today with the track in improved condition,” said Hayden. “After making small steps for the last few test sessions today we have finally taken a big leap forward and I was able to ride fast.”
He added: “The arm wasn’t too bad but it still isn’t as strong as before, which I can feel more than anything in the hard braking, and it was hard work today. Anyway, I am recovering well and now we move on from Sepang feeling really happy.”
Hayden’s team-mate Casey Stoner was second on the timesheet behind Valentino Rossi, as both the Ducati machines came inside the top three times of the test.
Day 2 of the Sepang pre-season test saw Nicky set the third fastest time, just under two tenths behind his Ducati team mate, Casey Stoner!
Congrats Nicky, we know its only testing, but things are looking great for the start of the season!
1 Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha Team 2:00.271 - - 39
2 Casey Stoner Ducati Marlboro Team 2:00.512 +0.241 +0.241 33
3 Nicky Hayden Ducati Marlboro Team 2:00.703 +0.191 +0.432 42
4 Colin Edwards Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:00.988 +0.285 +0.717 35
5 Ben Spies Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:01.014 +0.026 +0.743 44
6 Loris Capirossi Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2:01.320 +0.306 +1.049 50
7 Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda Team 2:01.439 +0.119 +1.168 46
8 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 2:01.478 +0.039 +1.207 57
9 Hiroshi Aoyama Interwetten-Honda MotoGP 2:01.692 +0.214 +1.421 50
10 Alvaro Bautista Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2:01.732 +0.040 +1.461 25
11 Randy De Puniet LCR Honda MotoGP 2:01.980 +0.248 +1.709 58
12 Marco Melandri San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:02.078 +0.098 +1.807 60
13 Hector Barbera Aspar Team 2:02.080 +0.002 +1.809 52
14 Mika Kallio Pramac Racing Team 2:02.082 +0.002 +1.811 66
15 Yamaha T Yamaha T 2:02.287 +0.205 +2.016 18
16 Aleix Espargaro Pramac Racing Team 2:02.367 +0.080 +2.096 49
17 Marco Simoncelli San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:03.689 +1.322 +3.418 2
18 Yamaha O Yamaha O 2:04.500 +0.811 +4.229 43
Nicky ended his first day of the second pre-season test at Sepang in 11th place. Don’t sweat, its his first time back on the Ducati after undergoing surgery on his arm for the “arm pump” syndrome!
1 Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha Team 2:01.068 - - 47
2 Casey Stoner Ducati Marlboro Team 2:01.219 +0.151 +0.151 33
3 Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda Team 2:01.631 +0.412 +0.563 52
4 Loris Capirossi Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2:01.687 +0.056 +0.619 52
5 Ben Spies Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:01.843 +0.156 +0.775 42
6 Colin Edwards Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:01.897 +0.054 +0.829 35
7 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 2:02.036 +0.139 +0.968 47
8 Mika Kallio Pramac Racing Team 2:02.038 +0.002 +0.970 76
9 Alvaro Bautista Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2:02.078 +0.040 +1.010 34
10 Marco Melandri San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:02.086 +0.008 +1.018 52
11 Nicky Hayden Ducati Marlboro Team 2:02.221 +0.135 +1.153 61
12 Hiroshi Aoyama Interwetten-Honda MotoGP 2:02.419 +0.198 +1.351 57
13 Aleix Espargaro Pramac Racing Team 2:02.447 +0.028 +1.379 35
14 Hector Barbera Aspar Team 2:02.485 +0.038 +1.417 62
15 Randy De Puniet LCR Honda MotoGP 2:02.535 +0.050 +1.467 76
16 Marco Simoncelli San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:03.254 +0.719 +2.186 53
17 Yamaha O Yamaha O 2:04.681 +1.427 +3.613 51
18 Yamaha T Yamaha T 2:04.967 +0.286 +3.899 43
Nicky ended the first day of testing in 7th place on the time sheets onboard the new GP10.
2. Stoner (Ducati) 2:01.902 (42)
3. Edwards (Yamaha) 2:01.932 (48)
4. Capirossi (Suzuki) 2:02.102 (58)
5. Lorenzo (Yamaha) 2:02.165 (57)
6. Dovizioso (Honda) 2:02.630 (51)
7. Hayden (Ducati) 2:02.792 (59)
8. Pedrosa (Honda) 2:02.866 (52)
9. Kallio (Ducati) 2:02.987 (70)
10. Barbera (Ducati) 2:03.030 (59)
11. Espargaro (Ducati) 2:03.133 (54)
12. Spies (Yamaha) 2:03.142 (55)
13. De Puniet (Honda) 2:03.456 (62)
14. Bautista (Suzuki) 2:03.558 (51)
15. Simoncelli (Honda) 2:03.563 (54)
16. Melandri (Honda) 2:03.609 (28)
17. Aoyama (Honda) 2:03.651 (66)
Nicky Hayden – 7th fastest 2’02.792 (59 laps)
“Overall the day was positive, sure it went quite fast actually and at the end of the day when we were ready to do some more laps the rain came and cut it a little bit short. It would be nice to have the chance to do some more laps. But overall the bike was feeling quite good. We made a couple of little tweaks that helped us but we struggle a lot for edge chatter. There’s not much testing before the start of the season so we’ve got to move fast: day one is in the bag, we have established a good starting point and we go from here”.
Nicky ended the final day of the post-season test at Valencia in 3rd place on board the GP10! But before you get too excited, the Yamaha boys didn’t take part in the final day’s proceedings! Still, this test has been a great result for Nicky and hopefully the next test at Malaysia will go just as well!
1 Casey Stoner Ducati Marlboro Team 1:31.900 - - 35
2 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 1:31.944 +0.044 +0.044 38
3 Nicky Hayden Ducati Marlboro Team 1:32.805 +0.861 +0.905 40
4 Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda Team 1:32.825 +0.020 +0.925 51
5 Marco Melandri San Carlo Honda Gresini 1:32.936 +0.111 +1.036 36
6 Mika Kallio Pramac Racing 1:32.988 +0.052 +1.088 39
7 Aleix Espargaro Pramac Racing 1:33.275 +0.287 +1.375 55
8 Loris Capirossi Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1:33.464 +0.189 +1.564 43
9 Hector Barbera Aspar Team 1:33.787 +0.323 +1.887 57
10 Marco Simoncelli San Carlo Honda Gresini 1:33.856 +0.069 +1.956 35
11 Alvaro Bautista Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1:34.163 +0.307 +2.263 45
12 Hiroshi Aoyama Scot Racing Team 1:34.821 +0.658 +2.921 47
13 Joan Olive Promoracing 1:38.718 +3.897 +6.818 37
14 Xavier Simeon Gresini Moto 2 Team 1:39.151 +0.433 +7.251 12
15 Kenny Noyes Promoracing 1:45.427 +6.276 +13.527 2
The Kentucky Kid
DOB: July 30, 1981Place: Owensboro, KY
Nicky Hayden is a former MotoGP and AMA Superbike champion who currently competes for Ducati in the MotoGP World Championship. A dirt tracker in his early years, Hayden slides his bike out of corners, making him one of the most spectacular riders to watch. Off track, the happy-go-lucky Kentuckian is a fan favourite across the globe. Read more...
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Standings
| 1. | Valentino | ROSSI | Yamaha | 306 |
| 2. | Jorge | LORENZO | Yamaha | 261 |
| 3. | Dani | PEDROSA | Honda | 234 |
| 4. | Casey | STONER | Ducati | 220 |
| 5. | Colin | EDWARDS | Yamaha | 161 |
| 6. | Andrea | DOVIZIOSO | Honda | 160 |
| 7. | Toni | ELIAS | Honda | 115 |
| 8. | Alex | DE ANGELIS | Honda | 111 |
| 9. | Loris | CAPIROSSI | Suzuki | 110 |
| 10. | Marco | MELANDRI | Hayate | 108 |
| 13. | Nicky | HAYDEN | Ducati | 104 |