Hayden and van der Marks set for Thailand

Unlike the opening event of the season, which was preceded by a two-day official test, in Thailand Nicky will have multiple challenges to face. He will need to quickly learn his way around the track on Friday while trying to find a good set-up for his Fireblade and make sure he stays in the top 10, in order to qualify directly for Superpole 2.

"I‰Ûªm looking forward to the race weekend," Hayden said. "I have been to Thailand a couple of times before due to sponsor obligations and I always had a great reception; it is clear that people here are really passionate about the sport and hungry to know more about it. I‰Ûªve had a look at the track with some videos and it looks quite nice, I will have a proper look at it on my Fireblade on Friday morning. This is going to be a good learning weekend for me as I will get a better idea of our potential, given the lack of testing before the round."

Four hours and twenty minutes by car from Thailand‰Ûªs capital city Bangkok, Chang International circuit opened on October 2014. Last year‰Ûªs edition of the Thai WorldSBK round marked the first World Championship event to take place at this venue. The track consists of five left turns and seven right-handers, all visible by the spectators watching the race from the imposing 50-thousand-seat main grandstand, built over the pit garages.

Main Photo: Michael van der Mark