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Hayden poised for World Superbike switch with Honda

Former MotoGP champion Nicky Hayden is poised to move across to the World Superbike Championship in 2016 with the Honda Ten Kate team.

Nicky Hayden, Aspar MotoGP Team

Nicky Hayden, Aspar MotoGP Team

Aspar Team

Nicky Hayden, Aspar MotoGP Team
Nicky Hayden, Aspar Racing Team
Nicky Hayden, Aspar MotoGP Team
Sylvain Guintoli, Pata Honda
Karel Abraham
Karel Abraham, Cardion AB Motoracing
Jordi Torres, Aprilia Racing Team

Hayden has struggled to find form aboard the Open class Aspar Honda this season, having scored only four times in 2015, and currently sits down in 19th in the championship on 13 points.

Aspar, which is set to change to Ducati machinery in 2016, has already signed Yonny Hernandez and is expected to retain Hayden's current teammate Eugene Laverty.

The American had been linked to a switch to World Superbikes since visiting the Laguna Seca round in July, despite subsequently insisting that he was keen to remain in MotoGP.

Aprilia had previously been thought to be Hayden's most likely destination, but with the Italian marque's plans still unclear, the 34-year-old is now set to take Yamaha-bound Sylvain Guintoli's Honda seat.

He will join last year's World Supersport champion Michael van der Mark, with the Ten Kate team's competitiveness set for a major boost in 2017 with the introduction of a race version of the new-for-2016 Fireblade road bike.

Abraham could make WSBK switch

Meanwhile, it has been reported that World Superbike promoter Dorna is trying to arrange for Karel Abraham's current MotoGP team AB Motoracing, which is owned by his father Karel Sr, to take over the Aprilia's WSBK team, currently run by the Red Devils squad.

The result would be Abraham potentially joining in place of either of the team's existing riders Leon Haslam and Jordi Torres - although it remains possible that Aprilia, which relaunched its MotoGP team this year, may choose to withdraw entirely.

Elsewhere, the Althea Ducati team is thought to be close to a switch to BMW machinery, with German Superbike champion Markus Reiterberger likely to be one of its riders.

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