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Hayden calls for rider aid limits

Former MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden believes that the use of electronic rider aids should be curbed in the premier category for the good of the sport

The factory Ducati rider, who is in the middle of his seventh Moto GP season, says that while he accepts the championship must embrace technological advances, he wishes there was a way to stop traction control from having such an overbearing influence on a riders' throttle input.

Asked if he would like to see the technology banned, Hayden replied: "That's easy to say, but I think it is getting too much ,you know.

"Like I say, fully leaned over, in the rain at Donington and you go wide open [on the throttle], I mean that's not exactly real racing.

"But that's the future and the world we live in now as far as technology is concerned and stuff, but I wish they could put some kind of cap on it or something because it is just taking over."

Hayden added that while he did not consider traction control to impact on the pecking order, he did think that it had removed some of the challenge of riding a MotoGP machine.

"I don't want to say that [it takes away the importance of the rider] because I still believe the same, fast, guys would be winning but I think it would be more challenging as far as riding the motorcycle," he said. "The feel, the moving, the throttle control and the technique.

"It makes it easier for the 250 and 125 guys to come in," he added. "Believe me, without traction control it takes a lot more time and a lot more... it was a learning process.

"Now, if anything, you have to forget what you already know and re-programme your brain to do that."

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