Hayden frustrated by Honda's problems

The American is struggling to get comfortable with the way the front-end of the RC212V feels, and that left him struggling for pace in the season-opener at Qatar earlier this month.

And although his Honda bosses have vowed to do everything to help, Hayden has expressed some frustration that a solution has not yet been found.

"I don't want to whinge or look like I'm making up excuses, but there's still a lot of work to do to sort out the front of my bike," he said in an interview with Motosprint magazine.

"I wonder how it's possible we're still at this point. It's frustrating, it really drags you down."

As well as problems getting confident with the front-end of his bike, Hayden is also suffering with straightline speed - with his larger frame not as aerodynamically efficient as teammate Dani Pedrosa.

"We need more top speed, there's no doubt about that," added Hayden, who is well aware that straightline speeds are now in focus after Ducati's performance in Qatar.

"I, too, was overtaken on the straight by a Ducati, in my case it was (Alex) Barros. After Alex passed me, it was practically impossible to catch him again. Besides, Yamaha are in the same situation as us. So, after the Qatar GP you can understand what we need for the next races.

"I can put in all the effort in the world, but I certainly can't start building parts for my bike. Last year I requested a lot of material that never came forth, but at least I was getting good results so I'd forget about it. At the moment, with this bike, it's like I need to do stop-and-gos to enter and exit the turns.

"Some turns, in sequence, I need to face them separately, first one and then the other, because I can't coordinate them all together. When you have a good feeling with the front it's fun to ride, when you lack that it's a disaster."

Any hopes of a major breakthrough soon appear unlikely, however, with Hayden revealing that no development parts are on the horizon.

"I don't think so. I've already tried some new bits for the engine, but every time we went back to what we had before. I know no one believes me if I say I'm still using the same parts I had in Valencia the first time around ( the 800cc test that immediately followed the last GP in 2006), but it's the truth.

"They're working in Japan. The only certainty is that they never give up. They don't stand still for a second, and I know that sooner or later someone will show up with something new that will radically change the situation."

Hayden has said he remains convinced about Honda's potential to sort out the problems, and is not criticising what has happened over the winter with the development direction of the bike.

"I don't want to get into the reasons why Honda made such a small and short bike. Last year I decided to stay at Honda. I didn't want to go elsewhere, and I would be lying if I said that I didn't think we would have an advantage on some tracks with the 800cc. I believed, and still believe, in Honda.

"I will keep my mouth shut until I am the quickest Honda rider."