Error from Ducati Team rider Nicky Hayden drops him to eighth at Sachsenring – MotoGP news
A last corner error from Ducati Team rider Nicky Hayden dropped him to eighth in the eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland.
Hayden’s last corner tackle was not strong enough to hold off Bautista from taking the seventh position.
The American rider was slightly disappointed from the results especially considering the track where he likes to race and has collected multiple podium finishes.
Hayden was placed eighth for the race start after a tough qualifying session. In fact, both Ducati riders were lying far behind their expected performances. Both Ducati garages were fighting to improve their Desmosedicis for the demands of the German track.
Hayden said, “I tried to go with that group in front of me off the start, but about the second or third lap I had a pretty big moment over the bumps in Turn 1 and they took off. From there I had a big battle with Bautista and Vale.”
The race start was little help for the American rider but after a bad run, he was hooked down by Alvaro Bautista of the Rizla Suzuki team. After tangling with Bautista, Valentino Rossi also hopped into the fight for a seventh position and all three riders
switched places several times.
Nicky Hayden commented on the race fight and said, “It was fun, with a lot of overtaking, but battling for seventh place, 27 seconds back is hard for me to take at a track that I love and where I’ve been on the podium several times. I got to seventh toward
the end and did my best lap, but they came with me.”
Hayden further explained his race situation that the Spaniard caught him at the end of the waterfall turn. Bautista overtook Hayden at that point and in the final corner, the American rider made his move to snatch the seventh place.
Still Bautista did not let it go away and despite of losing position to both Ducatis, he picked the inside line and jumped back to a seventh place finish on the final few metres to the finish line.
The American regretted his tyre choice but still he was grateful to his crew which made a great effort for the German race weekend. Now Ducati will move to Laguna Seca for Hayden’s home event on July 24, 2011.
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