British MotoGP: New chassis boost for MotoGP champ Nicky Hayden

Reigning MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden is hoping a new chassis he will use for the first time in competition at this weekend’s British MotoGP will help spark some momentum into the defence of his premier class crown.

Hayden tested a new chassis at the recent Barcelona MotoGP test session and his Repsol Honda team confirmed to MCN today (Tuesday) he will run the frame at the British MotoGP at Donington Park. 

Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa has already raced the chassis, but Hayden has been reluctant to try it on a race weekend after problems he encountered in the 2006 British MotoGP.

He tested new chassis parts at Donington Park 11 months ago, but lost crucial set-up time and slumped to the worst finish of his championship-winning MotoGP campaign in the 30-lap race.

Not wanting to make the same mistake again, Hayden and crew chief Pete Benson resisted the temptation to try the chassis on a MotoGP race weekend.

But after a successful two-day test on the new frame at Catalunya, Nicky Hayden will run it this weekend.

Hayden, who has yet to claim a top six finish in 2007 after struggling to get to grips with Honda’s new factory RC212V 800cc contender, told MCN: “It helped the turning. It felt like it went around the corners better and tried to finish the corner better and it gave me a little bit better feeling with the front in a few places and didn’t really have any negatives. 

“It feels better in the longer corners. When you look through the corner and actually spot the apex it just turns a little bit better.”