Nicky Hayden aims for Le Mans best

Nicky Hayden is hoping he can bury his French GP jinx at Le Mans this weekend.

The American has scored 26 podiums in his MotoGP career but none have ever come at the legendary Le Mans venue.

Hayden’s best result in France was a fifth place in 2006 when he went onto clinch the world title for Repsol Honda, but the Kentucky rider is confident he can claim a career best French GP result on Sunday.

Hayden has been a revelation so far on the factory Ducati GP10 with successive fourth places in Qatar and Jerez.

And last time out at the Spanish GP in Qatar, Hayden managed to beat Aussie team-mate Casey Stoner for the first time.

Looking ahead to his chances this weekend in Le Mans, Hayden told MCN: “I’m really excited to go to Le Mans because I’m really motivated.

“It’s a track where I’ve never had a good result. I’ve never been on a podium or the front row and no rider wants to say I never did any good there.

“I might change my opinion pretty quick on Friday but my bike is quite stable on the brakes and it is really important there.”

Hayden said the first two races at least had put some of the fun element back into racing after a tough debut campaign with Ducati in 2009.

Andrea Dovizioso narrowly beat Hayden to the podium in the season’s opening race in Qatar and he added: “Oh man, it has been way more fun. Qatar was actually more fun because it was a real race. Even though I was pushing in Jerez and Casey came at me it wasn’t like Qatar.

“But at the beginning when I was running third it was way more fun that running around at the back and it’s been good so far this season.”