Qatar MotoGP: Nicky Hayden to run 2007 Honda in first race

Nicky Hayden will ride a 2007 factory Honda RC212V when the 2008 MotoGP season kicks off in Qatar this weekend.

One of the machines that Hayden finished last season on has been hastily flown to the Middle East from Japan after HRC was stung into action by the dismal testing performances of Nicky Hayden and Repsol team-mate Dani Pedrosa last week in Qatar.

The pair finished only 14th and 15th in the historic night test last week, and official confirmation of the shock move is expected at 5pm local time in Qatar.

An old bike has also been delivered for Spaniard Pedrosa.

The switch back to old machinery comes at the end of a nightmare pre-season for American Hayden.

The 2008 RC212 fell well below expectations and a new pneumatic valve engine was dropped because of persistent problems.

Recently Nicky Hayden and Dani Pedrosa have been riding using a 2007 spec motor housed in the 2008 chassis, but the disastrous Qatar test saw Honda finally bow to Hayden’s repeated request to roll out last year’s complete machine.

While Hayden and Pedrosa have struggled, the factory pair have been overshadowed by the likes of Randy de Puniet and Andrea Dovizioso.

They are both riding the exact same specification of RC212V that Pedrosa used when he won the 2007 Valencia MotoGP.

“At one point at the test we were last and second last and that isn’t good. I guess it stung Honda but give them credit.

“It couldn’t have been easy to explain to the bosses that they wanted to roll out last year’s bike.

“I first asked about switching to the old bike after Phillip Island but they really didn’t want to take that step back.

Sometimes though you got to go back to move forward,” said the American.