Ducati's Nicky Hayden has revealed the carbon fibre frame he only got to use once in a test at Jerez in 2010 was more than likely the best configuration Ducati have ever had in his five years with the squad.

The American, who will be replaced by Cal Crutchlow in 2014, says he set a 1'38.1 at the Spanish track three years ago, which is half a second faster than Jorge Lorenzo's pole time from this year, but never got to ride with it again.

"The carbon frame had a lot of potential. It really is a shame I never got to ride that bike again. I went to Jerez at the start of the 1000cc era when Valentino broke his finger in Japan and last minute went there and really went fast with that bike, really had a good feeling with it," said Hayden, speaking at Silverstone.

"I never rode it again. It had a lot less understeer, problem was I got hurt in Valencia with the Bautista deal, broke my hand so I never tested it again. We still talk a lot about that frame, especially why we never tried it, especially when we go to Jerez, when we're not close to that same laptime I did there.

"It's furstrating because some of the stuff I test that doesn't work they bring back to try again with a different combination but that's the one bike I did a 1'38.1 on a day in Jerez alone, which was pretty fast and a pretty good feeling. I've asked for it back but it didn't appear. It's faster now than we have ever gone on a 1000cc, years later."