After winning the MotoGP championship two years ago, Honda’s Nicky Hayden is all but forgotten. Valentino Rossi considers Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner his main rivals in 2008 . . . never mentioning Hayden.
Granted, Hayden had a difficult time defending his championship to say the least. He never came to grips with Honda’s new 800. The 800s seem to favor riders who cut their teeth on two-stroke GP bikes. High corner speed seems to be the key to a fast lap time, and not Hayden’s “point and shoot” style.
Something tells me Hayden will bounce back this year. His Honda and his Michelin tires seem much better during pre-series testing, and Hayden may be adapting his style a bit. Don’t count Nicky out as a contender next year.
