[h=2]Thank you Nicky[/h]Nicky Hayden was struck by emotion as he completed his final MotoGP race for Ducati prior to his switch to Aspar Honda in 2014. The 2006 world champion finished the last race of the season in Valencia as the top Ducati rider in eighth place. Hayden, who has been with the Italian manufacturer for five years, said: “It's pretty emotional. I spent five years with a great group of guys, and although it hasn't always been easy, we were a good team together. I wish them all the best.” The American didn't make the best of starts in Spain from row four but soon made up ground and at one point felt he was within striking distance of Bradley Smith on the Yamaha Tech 3. “The start wasn't very good, as the same thing happened as in Japan, but I was able to make up some places and finish in eighth place. It's not a great result, but it was nice to finish the race as first Ducati rider. For a while, I thought maybe I could get on the back of Bradley [Smith] as I cut the three-second gap in half but then I had a moment coming off the last corner and hit the windscreen. He went faster after that anyway, so that was it.” from Crash.net
