Honda silent on Nicky Hayden future

Honda bosses have refused to confirm that Nicky Hayden’s place in its factory team is under serious threat for the 2009 MotoGP world championship.

Hayden told today’s MCN that he fears he could be axed from the Repsol Honda squad unless his results drastically improve with the American scoring only three podiums in his last 25 races heading to this weekend’s British MotoGP.

Hayden is being strongly linked with a switch to Ducati, although he has denied a deal is close, but his Honda seat is favourite to go to impressive Italian rookie Andrea Dovizioso.

Hayden has spent his entire MotoGP career with Honda’s factory team, but since the switch to 800cc in 2007, he has struggled to make any impact.

Honda has denied warning Hayden about his precarious position unless he starts to improve his results, and Repsol team boss Kazuhiko Yamano told MCN: “I prefer now not to make any comment on this.

“I have had meetings with Nicky and his management but this is just normal meetings. Many times we have meetings with Nicky’s manager but this is normal.

“We are thinking about our plans for next year but at this moment I don’t want to make any comment. Nicky is still fighting and doing a good job, but he has some problems with the balance of the machine.

“Nicky is working hard and I think soon he will get some good results. As for his future, I don’t want to speak about this.”

For full Hayden interview and free 16-page British MotoGP guide, see today’s MCN, out Wednesday, June 18, 2008.