Hayden signs up with Ducati

PARIS. America’s 2006 MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden will ride for Ducati next season it was announced on Tuesday. The 27-year-old has had a modest season with Honda, though his second-placed finish in the US Grand Prix on Sunday saw a slight return to form and leaves him eighth in the standings nearly 200 points behind leader Valentino Rossi. “We are very happy that Nicky is joining us,” said Ducati managing director Claudio Domenicali. “We are certain that his never-say-die attitude, riding style and character will be great additions to our team in 2009. ” Hayden - who has been at Honda for the past six years - will team up with present world champion Casey Stoner of Australia and paid a handsome tribute to the time he had spent with Honda. “I owe a big thanks to everybody who's ever worked with me at Honda. I've worked with a lot of great people at HRC, Honda and Repsol too. ”