Nicky Hayden says that his Ducati feels more competitive at Jerez than it did in Qatar, even though it has only undergone minor changes since the season opener.
Hayden posted the eighth-fastest time in the second practice session at Jerez, during which the riders were buffeted by strong winds. Despite finishing ninth in the last race, Hayden insists that he feels more confident.
"I improved this afternoon in the wind and some other guys didn't so hopefully we can get in there tomorrow," he said. "Straight out the gate I felt my bike was working better here than it was in Qatar. "We haven't changed much on the bike – stiffened the front, done a couple of things for here.
"We were so far off in Qatar that we were making big changes, trying to get something. Here we're not so far away, so it's a case of riding it and tweaking it, not being different every time I go out. So, it's little adjustments to the springs and a few clicks [on the dampers]."