Hayden plays down tyre switch talk

With Dani Pedrosa and Valentino Rossi both pushing for Bridgestones next year, there have been rumours in Australia that the two riders could switch to the Japanese rubber while their teammates Hayden and Jorge Lorenzo use Michelins.

The speculation comes despite Yamaha announcing last month that they would stay on Michelins, and Bridgestone having previously insisted it could not supply Honda despite the team approaching the Japanese company at Pedrosa's behest.

The situation is further complicated by the continued uncertainty over a possible switch to control tyres from next season.

Despite the latest rumours, Hayden is adamant that Honda's tyre situation has not changed - and believes splitting the team and using different tyre brands would be foolish.

"I hear the same rumours," said the 2006 champion. "As far as I know, I'm on Michelins next year. I don't think Bridgestone is even going to offer us tyres, it's not even a choice, for me, to be made. It's pretty clear.

"It wouldn't work - letting one of us have them and not the other, that ain't no team effort.

"I would hate for us to be on different tyres for bike development. With Gresini, there would be three riders on Hondas on Bridgestones, and you know that the bike development would be around Honda and Bridgestone.

"That ain't going to work, because the Bridgestone Hondas this year have had very different problems to what we've had."

Casey Stoner said he was unmoved by the prospect of Rossi and Pedrosa joining him on Bridgestones when quizzed about the possibility.

"We have to see. It's not my job to worry about what everyone else is doing," he said.

"We have to concentrate on our job and what our development is for next year. We just have to try and find the best tyres from Bridgestone to suit our bike. The Kawasaki and also the Suzuki use slightly different tyres and we also have to make tyres to adapt to our bike.

"This year it's been perfect and we need to continue this for next year. So we need to concentrate on our testing programme and not to worry about what other people have unless they're a lot faster than us."

Hayden added that he wasn't even sure there was a convincing case for switching to Bridgestone tyres at present.

"If you were to have told me that (Pedrosa might switch tyre brands) three or four races ago when Bridgestone was dominating I'd have been real upset," he said.

"(Now) I don't necessarily know what's best - look at the last few races, Michelin have been good."