[visordown.com] - Hayden: “I’ve used all my engines”

[Ninjette Newsbot]

NICKY Hayden was forced to retire with 12 laps remaining in the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday due to an engine failure.


With three races remaining in the MotoGP season, the Factory Ducati team will have to analyse the mileage on all five used engines with the worst case scenario meaning they would have to use a sixth engine and start from pit lane.


The American explained: “It was my freshest engine and it’s unfortunate. We just can’t catch a break at the moment. At Phillip Island we’ll have to put in an older engine but it was already high mileage so it’s not good. Starting from pit lane [the punishment for opening a sixth engine this season] is a possibility but we’ll obviously look at what we have available.


“I’ve used all my engines so we’ll go back and see the mileage on them. I was hoping to get to the end of the season on these two engines. I know I’ve got one engine with some life but I don’t know if it’s enough to do three more races. I’d hate for it to be Phillip Island to start from pit lane because it’s one of my favourite tracks.”

The 2006 MotoGP World Champion was disheartened by the DNF on Sunday: “In the race, I started eleventh but was able to move up a few spots and was having the best race I’ve had in a while. I was pulling away from Dovi pretty well and had just closed onto the back of Bradley. He was a little faster than I was in a few places, but I was better in some other spots.

“Just as I tipped it into the last corner, I heard a strange noise. I was hoping it was something on his bike, but when I opened the gas it was clear it was me. We need to let the engineers check out the engine to see what the problem was. It’s just a shame for me and the team to start the three-week trip this way.”


Ducati MotoGP Project Director Paolo Ciabatti confirmed that Hayden’s engine will be examined: “We’ve already sent Nicky’s engine to Bologna to be checked by the racing department, so we should soon know the real cause of the problem that occurred in the race. It’s a shame because Hayden had done a good warm-up session and was also having a good race fighting with Smith.”
The 32-year-old is currently ninth in the World Championship standings, 18-points behind team-mate Andrea Dovizioso.



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