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Hayden realistic about Sepang race
Given his previous performances, Ducati Team rider Nicky Hayden is staying realistic about his chances at the Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix on Sunday
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iven his previous performances, Ducati Team rider Nicky Hayden is staying realistic about his chances at the Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix on Sunday.
"I've been fourth here five times ... five out of six years," Hayden said after Friday practice in Sepang, Malaysia.
"Normally I'm not happy with fourth, but honestly if I can get back to my spot, I would take a fourth right now and be pretty happy. Well, not happy but content.
"I really want to focus on these last two races and get another podium before the season is out. It's going to be tough," added the 24-year-old.
Hayden acknowledged the tropical heat would be a challenging factor.
"The race is going to be tough. Malaysia is so hot," he said.
"It takes 45 minutes around here in this heat, with this leather and sitting on this engine producing a lot of heat. It's no cakewalk."
Nonetheless, Hayden expressed his satisfaction with the way the practice went on for his team on Friday.
"We have come out pretty well this morning. Today has probably been the best afternoon practice I've ever had for a long time," Hayden said.
This year has not been a good one for Hayden, who was taken out from the first lap in three races: in Japan, Italy and Philip Island, Australia.
"It's been tough for me and the team. We had high expectations in the season but we had a lot of bad luck in the beginning ... big crashes, and I was injured," he said.
Meanwhile, the team's first rider, Australian Casey Stoner, has performed better and managed to win three times, in Qatar, Mugello and Philip Island.
Stoner is currently third in the overall standings with 195 points, behind Yamaha Team duo Valentino Rossi with 270 points and Jorge Lorenzo with 232.
Hayden sits in 14th place with 82 points.
Speaking about his early partnership with the Italian Ducati Team this year, the "Kentucky Kid" pointed out language as one of the challenges he had to overcome.
"Thankfully the team has worked really hard to change the bike completely ... and get some more English-speaking guys so that I can communicate," he said.
Remi Sinai, Shell Brands International's global motorcycle sponsorship manager, said Hayden had taken some Italian language courses, while the Ducati team, mostly Italians, had also taken English courses to narrow the language gap.
