Optimistic Hayden looking forward to round four

Analysing the technical challenges of the Shanghai International track ahead of round four, Repsol Honda´s former MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden is confident that his Honda RC212V-Michelin package is heading in the right direction as he battles to improve his 2008 form.

The Kentucky Kid has made an indifferent start to the year with an improvement on his tenth place finish in Qatar coming with a solid run to fourth at Jerez, only for him to crash out at Estoril, when in contention for at least another top five finish.

Nonetheless the American has been buoyed by some encouraging recent signs in practice, qualifying and testing and will be working as hard as ever in China, as he goes in search of his first podium of the season.

Hayden was a rostrum finisher at Shanghai International in 2006 when he finished behind his team-mate Dani Pedrosa in a one-two for Repsol Honda, and the American is ready for the Chinese challenge once again.

`It seems like we´re making progress,´ comments the affable 26 year-old, `Honda´s working hard, the Michelin tyres are working good and I really enjoyed the bike at Estoril. We were up there all weekend, so we´ve just got to put the crash behind us and move on.´

`Shanghai is a strange track,´ continues Hayden. `My favourite thing is the surface, which seems like it´s always good and consistent. The track has got two big straightaways, the back straightaway is the highest top speed of the year and right after you´ve got one of the slowest corners in MotoGP, so it´s really important to be stable on the brakes, so we worked on that during our tests at Estoril.´

`You also need something good on horsepower, something you can do some drafting with. Turn one-to-two is quite unique and technical, with a lot of different lines, either sweep wide or stay low. Then the corner coming onto the back straightaway is super important because it sets you up for that sixth-gear run. The facilities are amazing, it´s probably the most over-the-top facility I´ve seen in my life. Saying that, Indy is pretty spectacular too.´