Resurgent Hayden thanks team

Prior to the Dutch Grand Prix, Hayden had not finished higher than seventh this year as he struggled to acclimatise to the 800cc RC212V.

But he had been quick in dry practice in Holland, and despite only qualifying 13th in the wet, he rapidly moved forward in the race.

"It's really nice to get a result," Hayden told the BBC. "For a while I thought I might be on for more than a podium.

"Big thanks to my guys - a lot of guys would have given up on me, but they kept working hard.

"When that light went out I said to myself, 'fight like a dog today, kid'. I got the best start and tried to have fun and really enjoy it.

"Thanks to Honda, my team, and everybody for standing behind me."

Hayden admitted that he had taken an aggressive approach to the race, having begun the weekend only 12th in the championship standings.

"I really don't have a whole lot to lose right now - I knew if I didn't get right up there at the start it was just going to be another 17th place," he said.

"I rolled the dice a little bit, then let it ride and tried to go for it."