MOTOGP: Hayden Could Be Superbike

Nicky Hayden spoke about his uncertain future on the eve of the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix weekend.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: SPEED will provide two days of LIVE coverage from the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Catch Qualifying LIVE on Saturday, July 20 at 5:00pm ET and then tune into Sunday's LIVE race coverage starting at 4:30pm ET. #MotoGPonSPEED Nicky Hayden has confirmed his departure from Ducati at the end of the2013 season in advance of his home race at Laguna Seca on Sunday. Hayden, 31, said he has no interest in just making up the numbers in MotoGP, and that he is seeking a future in world Superbikes as earlier reported on SPEED. At the pre-event press conference for the US Grand Prix Hayden said that getting "sacked" was never pleasant but that he still "loves" racing bikes. "It is not an easy moment but I am not coming back to Ducati in MotoGP. They have chosen to go in a different way," Hayden said. "I have a couple of things on the go and some interesting stuff but in MotoGP it doesn't look so good. "It is not an ideal situation but the results haven't gone how we hoped, and nobody likes to get sacked but that's what happened. Having endured an uncompetitive stint on Ducati's troublesome Desmosedici, Hayden said that he sees no point in staying in MotoGP without competitive machinery. "MotoGP is where my heart it is but I don't just want to stay here on a bike and run around and try to get a point here or there," he said. "I need to look at all the options and see which is the one I am most excited about and which one sounds like it will be the most fun. I am not sure Repsol Honda is going to come knocking on my door today for one of those spots. "There are only so many seats in MotoGP and that's tough. There are only 12 official bikes and most of them are spoken for." Hayden will see out the season with Ducati but is now on the open market for World Superbikes next year, and his talent and commitment makes him an attractive option for teams. Going into Sunday's Laguna Seca race Hayden has made 175 starts in MotoGP for three race wins. He was world champion in 2006. Two of his finest moments came at this very race with Hayden both the 2005 and 2006 US Grands Prix at Laguna Seca when he raced for the factory Repsol Honda team.