American Nick Hayden discusses his 2009 season with Ducati in this Soup Interview. image by hans filtreti

What a year it was. For Nick Hayden, his first season with Ducati read like a Shakespearean play. One thing is for sure, Hayden's emotions were given a full workout by both the highs, lows, the trials and the tribulations that he experienced in 2009. From the high of climbing the podium at Indianapolis to the lows of being unceremoniously punted into oblivion by overzealous competitors, Hayden had a season for the ages.

Soup recently spoke with him about the year that was, MotoGP's 1000cc future, Moto2 and and here's what he had to say.

Q Summarize your first season with Ducati.

A It was certainly not what I hoped, going in. I hoped to have a much better season than I had. To end the season 13th is almost embarrassing. I don't know if I've ever finished a championship so low. I feel like we had really a better season than that. The thing is that at the beginning of the year, we really struggled, and just started the year in such a hole with some bad results, some bad crashes, and being a little bit hurt, with no momentum, just was pretty much a disaster, the first five races or so.

Luckily, we turned it around, and was able to salvage something - was able to get a couple of good results, save my job. And in the end, it's funny, we (Hayden and team) talked about it when we left Valencia. In some ways, the team was proud of the season we had. To start ... to be so far away, to think we were ever going to get on the podium and be somewhat competitive, I'm actually proud of the way the guys all responded and went to work. In the end, was it good enough? No. But I think we got a really good platform to start for next year, and I'm really excited.

Q I still say the major factor of the season is the limit on testing in MotoGP. You didn't have a lot of time on the bike before the first race.

A Yeah, it's true. It's a big part of it. Especially last year. We had a lot of rain in pre-season testing, from the first test in Valencia to the last one at Jerez, was affected a lot by weather, and hurt it. But more so, the tests during the season. Some of those tests, I think, are more important.

Pre-season testing, I think, can be a bit overrated. But it's those tests once the season starts, once you line up, that you really see where you're at, and can make progress.

The two biggest steps I made was after the Barcelona test and after the Brno test. Those was really when we started getting some decent results. Each one of those tests, or each one of those days, we took a step, at each test.

Q How is it, from your perspective, different working for Ducati than it was working for Honda?

A It's a lot different. Both have things they do good and things they do bad. I would say one of the big differences is that Ducati, everything happens right there in Bologna. That's where the trucks stay, it's where the bikes are built, all the parts, the team's based.

Where Honda was always, you have the Japanese side of things, where the parts and the bikes are built, and then the European side, where-- in Belgium--where their bikes are. So it was kind of strange that half the team would go to Japan and the other half of the team would go to Europe when you'd leave out of there, where this one, everybody goes back to Italy. So that's one of the things. But there's a lot of little differences. Sure, there's good sides on both sides. Honda won a lot of races in their day, and Ducati's got some things that they do really good.

Hayden says that his podium finish at the Indy USGP remains the bright point in a tough season. image by lefty snoose

I didn't realize it until I went to the factory how small Ducati is. They really are an underdog, and they've achieved a lot being a small company. One thing they need the sponsors to go racing, because it's not a big company that can just start signing checks. I think what makes the difference there is, it's really ... I know it sounds like a cliche, but there's really a lot of people there with a strong passion and a strong desire, and it's not just paychecks for those guys. They all truly bleed Ducati red.

Q Were you riding the bike any different at the beginning of the year versus at the end?

A Sure, a little bit approach to some things, as far as you find out what works on the bike. But more just the settings, and just getting a setup that I felt comfortable on and can push. Probably the thing that made the biggest difference of all is just the team. The way we structured things and got the communication a lot better, and everybody got on the same page more. They started to understand me better. But sure, we made a big change in Barcelona that allowed me to finally start feeling a little bit more comfortable on the bike and start getting to be able to ride it to, closer to get some feel in it. That was the thing in the beginning, I was just not - it was very unpredictable, the bike. It was always hard to really find the limit, because things were changing a lot, with some different electronics and different geometry, there's where I started to feel comfortable, and actually started kind of enjoying to ride the bike. There for a while, it was just not fun. If it's not fun, you're not going to go fast. So that's that.

Q Have you learned any Italian?

A I'm not speaking it fluently but I've certainly picked up some words and start to understand what people's talking about. You don't really have a choice around there. I've tried. I've got some stuff on my iPod I listen to, and a couple of little books, because I'm around it all day every day. Especially last winter when I was spending a bit more time in Italy. I've learned some stuff. Don't quiz me, but I got a couple of 'em down.

Q Were there certain tracks that the Ducati seemed to favor this year, and if so, which ones were they?

A Germany was really good for us as far as the way the bike - if I could go back and race one race again, I would choose Germany. I ended up not getting a good result there, but from straightaway, that was one of the best. On Friday I led the session for a while there, and I forget where I ended up, but it was one of the first sessions I was fastest. One of the things I struggled a lot this year, and the big goal for next year, is to make - I've got to be closer on Friday. This year, I'd normally start out Friday so far behind, and start chipping away at it, and then come Sunday afternoon, by the end of the race sometimes, was doing my best laps of the weekend. We joked sometimes we need to race on about Tuesday. Needed a couple more days.

Will the return of 1000cc to MotoGP also herald the return of nasty slides and bikes that wheelie? Only if they curtail the electronics, says Hayden. 'Good luck policing that,' he said. image by island girl

I know it sounds a little bit strange, but this bike, for me, truly needed a different setup at every race. We, at times, were changing different seats. We changed the seat position quite a lot as the season went on, to get the butt weight in different areas. At Laguna, we tried a completely different seat height and stuff than I'd ever used, and handlebar position to match that, which midway through a season, you're normally not wanting to try to change seating positions. And even the last race in Valencia, that was something - the bike I rode on Friday, that I raced on Sunday, was so different. Different shocks, swingarm pivot, transmission - this year, that's one of my goals, is to find a setup that hopefully we can roll out and be competitive and be pretty close and just be tweaking on it as the weekend goes.

Q Have you become a pasta snob?

A Oh, yeah. You can find something to eat around there. You're definitely not going hungry. That's not a problem. I didn't have any problem with the food.

Q What do you consider the highlight of your season? Was it Indy?

A I would say Indy, for sure. I know there I caught a couple breaks, and a couple guys stepped off, but regardless, we still was able to get on the podium at my home GP, and basically save my job, so that was pretty special to me, to do it at home. Any time you get on the podium is a good feeling. But I think the highlight is just knowing that the guys we got around there, nobody gave up, and was able to come back from such a disaster. I mean, to be 15th and stuff at the beginning of the season, and having the bad luck, the first turn incidents. We kept pushing, and the team is really motivated, and that was something I was proud of. But sure, getting on the - Indy was a good day for me. I certainly needed it.

Q Would you say the low light of the season was being knocked down?

A There was quite a few moments this year that was pretty tough, that you just thought, "Wow, man."

I remember being in Filippo's office about, after about the third or fourth race, thinking, "Wow, what are we going to do? We just can't run around in the back all year." I remember him looking at me and saying, "We're going to work. That's the only thing we can do to start eliminating problems." I don't want to sound too negative, because there's a lot of guys out there racing MotoGP that's never ... I guess it can't be so bad. It was a bad year, but it's still a good life. I don't want to sound like a complete crybaby. But some of them races and meetings early in the year weren't a lot of fun.

Q Preziosi is a very special guy.

Ducati Technical Director Filippo Preziosi (right) amazed Hayden with his dedication and perseverance. The team dug themselves from a deep hole by the end of the season. image by grandpa joad, who refused to leave the farm

A I mean, "special" doesn't even do him justice. His knowledge is (on) everything. Not just... mechanical, from communication, to everything. The guy is really smart. I have a great relationship with him. Communication, even on a personal level. And admire what he does. He's certainly smart, and ... that's his bike. It's amazing. That's another thing, compared, maybe different than Honda. Honda, you'd have one guy who basically ... this guy is almost like a swingarm guy. One guy, this part of the electronics. One guy for that. Where a lot of that stuff falls under Filippo's umbrella. Yeah. He is pretty special.

Q One part of his arsenal is maybe you'd call it dedication from the people that work with him at Ducati, but it's really almost devotion.

A I was in his office before Valencia. We was over there, and we were joking around, saying something about staying there at the office, and he pointed over next door, and the guy's got a bed in his office. I was joking when I said something about "If you start sleeping in here," then whatever, I don't know, I was just talking some smack to him, and he pointed next door, and the guy really had a bed in his office. That really tells you what you need to know about the guy, and that's what it takes. I think that's why he's done what he has.

Q What was the difference in what you saw in the data between yourself and Casey Stoner. Did you ever see his data, and did it look different?

A Sure. Everything is an open book around there. I think that's one of Ducati's strengths. From the satellite riders to the factory riders, you go up into the truck, it's all— the team managers from all four—chief mechanics from all four riders, now five riders, working from the same truck, sharing all the same information. I think that's a strength for them.

His data was ...it wasn't so much he only relied on the electronics to do all the work. He really has great throttle control. He gets off the corners better. That's one of the things that surprised me. He really gets off the corners good. But for the most part, he's still about a second a lap quicker than me most places. He's faster everywhere, but one of the things early in the year that was encouraging.

I say "everywhere" but there would be parts on the track where I would always be just as fast as him, but there was a couple places on the track where I would lose a lot of time. So that kind of gave me some good confidence, knowing that if I could always fix those one areas, I would be getting closer. So I've still got to get a lot closer, but we're confident that we can close that gap. One of the things is his top speed is always quite a bit better than mine. So we're going to go back to the wind tunnel in a couple of weeks and try to improve that. Because I got no doubt we have all the same parts, same engines and stuff.

He does get off the corner better than me. But we're missing something, aerodynamics or somewhere. Because there's too big a difference.

Q You've talked about the passion at Ducati. Is it a special feeling when you pull on those red leathers and get on the red bike, knowing you've got the passion of an entire country behind you?

A Yeah, it's pretty cool. When I first signed with Ducati, when everybody knew last year, I was coming home from Misano, and I was at the airport in a wheelchair, and, I mean, they treated me like a king. I really only needed one guy to push me, but I had a bunch more than that; it really is the whole country behind you. They take it pretty serious, their racing. That's another thing. This year, I think we were in Mugello or whatever ... we were in the hospitality, and when the World Superbike race came on, we were actually in a meeting, talking with the crew chiefs, Filippo was there and different guys. And I mean, when the World Superbike race came on, it was "Meeting over." Everybody turned to the TV, and the whole team was watching it live. They're into the racing.

Q How did you sleep this year? Did you sleep well, or were there issues?

A Well, on race weekends, I never seem to sleep like a baby. But I wouldn't say there were just a lot of perfect nights in there, but you've got to just keep believing. I would say a few nights were hard to sleep, but that's to be expected with how things went.

Q So you're not the kind of guy who can just drop and sleep? A lot of riders can just get on a plane, or they're in a car, and they put their head against the window and are out. I'm sure you remember Miguel Duhamel sleeping in the pit lane during practice. Were you ever able to do that?

A Nah. I would say just average. Barros, one time, was telling me about Eddie Lawson. They were teammates one year, and every time he looked over, Eddie was asleep.

Earplugs--check. Sunglasses--check. Slight facial hair--check. Strip on nose to prevent scrunching of nose when it itches in a race and also possibly improve breathing--check. image by Slip Fall

Q Getting hit from behind is something that can get into a rider's brain, especially when it happens in MotoGP. It's so violent on the opening laps anyway. How did you deal with it; were you able to let go of it and keep going?

A You've got to get over it, in this sport. You've got to learn to move on. Onward and upward. When things are good or bad. When things are going good, get too cocky. You've got to move on regardless. There's a lot of highs and lows in MotoGP. In any sport. In life. You've got to just learn to ride them out.

But sure, this year - three races, on the first lap. Japan, though, truthfully, I'd have been lucky to be tenth. I think I qualified ninth. But if I'd have been in the top ten there, would've been about the best that I was going to do. But Phillip Island and Misano were both two places that I had, during practice and qualifying, had been two of my better weekends. It was pretty frustrating, for sure. But I think, for me, three times in one season, I've got to analyze that and see why. I look at it, and certainly was in the - put myself in bad positions. That's the problem when you qualify where I normally qualified, about sixth, seventh, eighth, right in there, where most of the action starts. Or, drama starts. So I need to qualify better and be closer to the front so I'm not in there with.. where there is so much drama.

Q How much input did you have on the 2010 bike, and generally, what did you ask them for?

A I'm not sure how much input I had. Only they really know. I just give them the information I give them. I mean, people were saying, "Oh, that's the reason the bike got better to ride, is because I helped make it." But I don't really feel like I was the one who made the bike - I'm not talking about for Casey, but why all the other Ducati riders started doing better at the end of the year. I think it was more just a team deal.

But the 2010 bike ... it's not radically different. As you say, there's so little test time, you can't go off and do a lot of different things. But one of the big things, we've got some new forks for next year, and got a little different engine, the way it's going to deliver the power, which should be smoother, should be better for us next year; a little bit less aggressive.

Next year, the big thing with the engines, more than really work on developing stuff, is to fit the new rules. Six engines for 18 races? That's a lot of work for engineers. As, Filippo said, not even in club racing, Red Bull Rookies, do they not have six engines for a whole season. They've been at the max, working on that.

Q It's crazy that some feel that this will save money when the engineering needed to make those engines last that long is very expensive.

A Yeah. I'm not sure on that. Hopefully, eventually, we get the economy back right, because you just keep adding rules, rules, rules. It kind of takes away from the racing.

Q I don't want to make the whole interview, or a big chunk of the interview, asking you Stoner questions, but I'd really like to know, how did Stoner's illness impact your season?

A You know, I can't really say it affected my season a whole lot. That's what happened. I had to remain, do my own job. Row your own boat. Sure, it was more drama for the team, with such ... the way it all played out, and the deal was a lot of speculation, so much stuff going on that it was pretty bizarre, really, just the way it came up. But I think, in the end, it looked like he made the right move, because it did make him get healthy and come back and be so competitive. But on my side, I can't say it really affected me a whole lot.

Getting knocked down from behind or rammed at triple digit speeds was a common theme for Hayden in 2009. image by lefty snoose

Q Did it distract the team?

A It was hard on the team. I'm not going to try to lie, say it wasn't. Your number one guy, who was still in the title hunt, becomes ill ... and before it happened, was already not feeling well, and then to stay home kind of affected the team, sure. Because Kallio comes in, and he brings a couple guys from his team with him, and a couple of our guys went to the satellite teams. So it was a big shakeup.

For (Ducati Team Manager) Livio Suppo, I'd say if you asked him, I'm pretty sure - he was putting out fires left, right and center to make it all work. How'd you like to have to call Marlboro and tell them that (Stoner) was staying home? I'm sure that was hard on him. But again, the team, the way they all pulled together when Casey came back to win, it's a special team, from the people at Marlboro, to Ducati, to everybody. I know it sounds like I'm just saying it, but it's true. No matter what gets thrown at them, they keep doing it.

Q You had a special relationship with Livio Suppo, Ducati team manager, and he made the surprise announcement to leave the team at the end of the year. What was that like from your perspective?

A It was surprising - quite shocked, really. I didn't see that coming, because Livio - I mean, you talk about Filippo's passion for the bike and the team, Livio right there with him, a guy who lived for that team. I did have a special relationship. He was one who really pushed to get me there, and helped fight to keep me there. Always got on well. Though, Livio is a team manager. Some of them knocks on the door after you been 15th in qualifying, or something, was...

Q You're not looking forward to it.

A Yeah. Those were a little bit tough. But it's just because he wanted the team to work. He is a strong guy, hard guy, and with the sponsors, is a genius. So sure, it's going to be a big change for our team. Livio ... he's the first guy in that paddock, one of the last guys out. Really works hard, and really, a lot of stuff in the team was under him. Really, I think too much ... two guys are replacing him because he was involved with stuff in the garage, with the marketing, with sponsors. It was just crazy. If he didn't have the commitment to really want to be there, I'm happy they'll bring somebody in and stay motivated. But sure, I'm going to miss Livio. We had a lot of fun together. He fought for me.

You had to pick your battles with him. If you could just convince him there was something you needed to get around the track better, then just sit back. He would make it happen for you. That's what a team manager's supposed to do - put you in a position to do your job.

Q You know the guy is a workaholic when they hire two people to replace him when he leaves.

A Yeah. He fits that mode. But he seems happy with moving on.

Q Can you talk about the championship, and where it is today? As a series, are you happy when you look at MotoGP? Are you happy with the direction it's going?

On non-race weekends Hayden likes to attend Star Trek conventions. Do you speak 'Wookie' while there? we asked. 'Damn, dude,' he said 'there aren't any Wookies in Star Trek.' Fine. He didn't/doesn't. image by vicky vale, not nikki hale

A Sure, right now, racing anywhere, it doesn't matter ... it's feeling the pinch, the economy's put a hurt on everybody. We sure feel it in MotoGP, especially 125, 250s, there's just less money. There's some things in there that you'd like to see better. But truthfully, the TV numbers are good, the racing this year, I think, has been better than it's been in a lot of years. Midway through the season, Barcelona, there was a three-way tie for the championship. That's basically unheard of. So sure, there's things in the series, when good riders can't get rides and other guys are buying ... checkbooks, teams are sacking riders mid-season to hire somebody because he's got more money to bring. That's not a good sign. But if you look at other championships and things, I'm not going to complain too much.

I think the racing, there was a few sleepers, but for the most part, there was some good racing, and that's important. That's what the fans want. Next year, again, the lineup is ridiculous. You look at it on paper, maybe Espargaro, on paper, hasn't won championships, but everybody else on that grid, somewhere along the line have won a lot of motorcycle races, and most of them's won a pretty big championship somewhere. So I expect it to be a really exciting season.

Q Going from 250 to Moto 2. Are you okay with that?

A The 250s were cool, but 250 teams were really hurting on money. They were feeling it, 125s and 250s couldn't keep going. I'm not sure how this whole spec engine's going to play out. I really ... I don't know. The people who make the rules, I hope they know better than me. I hope it turns out better than the change from 1000 to 800, but I'm really not going to make a judgment. I know in some car racing and different forms, that that spec engine deal has went over well, but I really can't say until it plays out a bit. It'll be interesting.

Q MotoGP is going back to 1000cc. Do you smile when you hear that?

A Oh, yeah, that really breaks my heart. [Laughing] No, I'm joking. That's sarcasm there. Sure, the 800s I like, but I enjoyed the 1000ccs too. It was a different bike to ride altogether. I enjoyed it more. For me, they couldn't go back soon enough.

But I think more than anything, they say they want the bikes to be more epic-looking, harder to ride, and to get that they're going to have to change the electronics.

Now, you watch these bikes on TV, if you didn't know any better, MotoGP looks pretty easy. It looks like guys are just ... I mean, they're hardly moving around. No spinning, no sliding. They look like they're on rails. And knowing that's not the case, but I think it's just down to electronics, and until they can somehow find a way to police it or outlaw it, I don't think the racing would change that much by going just to 990s. ... Because the electronics is what's made the bigger deal, as far as - as much corner entry as corner exit, as far as why the bike looks so easy, and why on TV they come across so .. they're coming across a bit dull. But you know, good luck policing that.

Q What is the hardest part of the lap on the 800? Is it entry, mid-corner, exit, or something else?

A I would say the 800s more, it starts from the first corner. It's all so much connected. You can't mess up anywhere on the 800, from the entry, mid-corner, exit. That's the thing. The entirety of the lap is most important. To make the lap, you can't even make a 0.02-second mistake.

Q What are you going to do this off-season? Do you have any plans? Your brother shot a deer, but I didn't see you in any of the pictures.

A You heard about that, too? He's kind of been trying to keep that a secret. I don't think he wanted anybody to know.

No, I'm joking. I think he did everything but took out an ad in the local newspaper, a full-page ad, running a picture of him and his deer. He's pretty proud of it. But good for him. I guess since his Bears aren't doing much, he can gloat a bit about his deer. He got a nice one. He should be happy.

But no, you're not going to find me up there in no stand at daylight for three or four hours, just sitting there hoping I get to see a deer. That is not my idea of a way to spend a morning or an afternoon, even in the least bit.

I've been in Europe for a while after the season and got to come home for Thanksgiving, which was pretty cool. As I told you earlier, we're normally testing this week in Jerez and not home. Didn't really think this year was going to be any different, 'til they changed - they made a change for the testing. It was kind of nice to be home Thanksgiving. I was in one of my best friends' from high school's wedding. So that was cool. I'm home a couple weeks, and go back to Europe in about.

I go back in about a week. Going to India for a Ducati dealership opening, and getting to do some of the fun stuff. People think we just do our 18 races and spend the rest of the time having a beer and a barbecue and hanging out, but that's not really the case. Now is when they really make us earn our money and do some of the stuff that maybe aren't so fun.

But it's all good. Actually, I am going next week to the North Carolina-Kentucky basketball game. 'Cats are back now. We've got a new coach, and No. 4 in the land, so I'm jumping back on the bandwagon.