Returning MotoGP hero Nicky Hayden will try to dial some more feeling into the front end of his Estrella Galicia Honda tomorrow in order to make the big step he is looking for in the third MotoGP free practice session at Aragon.
The American, who is on loan from Ten Kate to stand-in for Jack Miller, got his first taste of MotoGP on Michelins since he won the championship using them in 2006 and says he is struggling to feel the limit on the front of the factory-spec RC213V.
“It wasn’t an easy day and I knew that coming into this weekend when I signed up for it. I needed a bit of time to get comfortable with the riding position, particularly with the handlebars. We started to make some gradual progress but then I hit a bit of a wall with the front,” said Hayden.
“At the moment I can’t feel the limit on the front. It feels like there’s a lot of weight on the front and I’m asking a lot from it. And I’m not getting a lot of feedback, so overnight we’ll look to get more weight on the rear and help me get more comfortable. Hopefully tomorrow morning I can get straight down to business and make a big step. This morning I stayed on used tyres and my pace compared to the guys that did the same is not too bad. But this afternoon I wasn’t able to make the step forward I’d hoped.”
