Hayden looking for more rear grip

Ducati Team rider Nicky Hayden began the difficult task of finding a set-up to cope with the sizzling Spanish summer at Barcelona today, as the Gran Premi Aperol de Catalunya got underway in 37ºC ambient temperatures, with the track surface reaching 53ºC.

Such conditions always take their toll on the riders, their bikes and in particular their tyres and Hayden struggled for edge grip in the first half of the session before making important steps forward in the final few minutes.

Nicky Hayden:

“It wasn’t a great first session for us – we struggled a lot for rear grip. On the edge of the tyre I had no traction and I was losing a lot of time. Towards the end we got it a little bit better but it was quite a tricky session to be honest. We were trying to manage one engine and put more miles on it whilst the other one felt a little better so that was tough. It’s not a great start for us but at least I feel like I’m not on the limit yet. There is a lot of room for improvement and we have a lot of work to do tomorrow because we’re 1.1 seconds off the pace and that is a lot.”