Ducati team riders Nicky Hayden, Valentino Rossi disappointed by results at British GP – MotoGP news
Ducati Team riders Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi are disappointed by their finishes at the recently held British Grand Prix where both ended fourth and sixth respectively.
Hayden said, “To be honest, I really liked my chances for a podium in the rain today; if you’d have told me before the race that I could have fourth, I’d have said, ‘No thanks, I can do better,’ but I’m not disappointed with my ride.”
Hayden added that his race start was not helpful due to a malfunctioning clutch. He said the clutch was not working properly and the bike jumped on release. From the start to the first corner, Hayden faced a high side which shook his shoulder hard.
In the chase for a podium finish, Hayden sighted Monster Yamaha Tech3 rider Colin Edwards who was racing pretty hard and focused. This caused Hayden to push his GP11 to the limits and he completed the fastest lap time aboard his factory Ducati Desmosedici
in the wet race.
He also praised the hard work of Colin Edwards who scored a podium after just a week to his surgery. The American rider was grateful to his team and appreciated the team effort during a tough race weekend at Silverstone. Hayden and his team will be preparing
for next round at Assen, Netherlands.
Italian veteran, Valentino Rossi was leaning far down from the start of the weekend and qualified in 13th place for the race. The problem continued with the race setup of GP11. Rossi was not confident on the settings and it hindered his performance
in difficult conditions.
Rossi said, “Without a doubt, this weekend was the most difficult so far this season, but we at least managed to do a good job of limiting the damage. Considering how we came into the race, sixth place is a fairly positive result that helps us to stay not
too far from the top of the standings in fourth, which isn’t bad.”
Another reason for his poor performance was the unfamiliar circuit layout, as in 2010 Rossi missed the British GP due to a leg injury he suffered in Mugello.
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