P22
IN
THE
WIND
W
hen you don't have a contract for next year in the MotoGP World Championship, it's
about now that things start happening. Conversations take place
and rider managers are out of
their office and can often be seen
huddled with team managers.
It's almost that time for Nicky
Hayden.
"Of course, you keep it in the
back of your mind," Hayden said
last week when asked if he's
thinking of next year. "My contract's up this year so, of course,
you know it's something I have
thought about. But I haven't really had any real discussions just
yet. But I'm sure in the next week
or two… well the next couple
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOLD & GOOSE
HAYDEN: NOTHING YET
Soon it will be
contract-talking
season for Nicky
Hayden.
of races is when things will get
going. The easiest way to start
those conversations is with some
good results. So I need
a good result soon."
Hayden has made a
home at Ducati for the
past five years and he
makes no bones that
it's his first choice for
next year as well.
"Well, my first choice, obviously… I mean Ducati is my
first option," Hayden said. "It's
where I've been for five years
and I believe in this project. So,
of course, we'll see. I had some
talks last week about the future,
not so much my future but where
we're going and stuff. So obviously that's where I'll start."
Andrea Wilson
200 FOR PEDROSA
A young Dani
Pedrosa hoists
the trophy after
winning his firstever Grand Prix at
Assen in 2002.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOLD & GOOSE
O
n Sunday, Dani Pedrosa became the youngest
rider to ever reach the 200-start mark in Grand Prix
racing, the Spaniard becoming the 19th rider to reach the
milestone when the lights turned green on the Grand Prix
of Catalunya.
Pedrosa reached the milestone at the age of 27 years,
260 days, becoming the 19th rider to reach the 200-GP
mark in the 65-year history of Grand Prix racing. The
previous youngest rider to reach the 200 milestone was
Marco Melandri, at 28 years, 22 days.
