I think it's a bit unfair to say Nicky has done nothing, I don't think Nicky, Rossi, Andrea, Andrea#2, Spies, or anyone on the bike has done "nothing". It's not like it's completely up to the rider how the bike changes and progresses. Nicky is not an engineer, all he does is ride the bike and tell the engineers how it feels and what needs to be improved. The engineers are the morons who will choose to do things like narrow down their list of optional changes to not include things they've never done before or that don't fit with Ducati's uniqueness.
In fact, I'd be willing to bet no one has done MORE for Ducati than Nicky. I wonder how much farther behind the factory would be without him. Then people point out his performance, and how up and down it is, but they don't put themselves in his shoes. Imagine being a world champion, then moving to a new factory team and struggling to be competitive for this long. It's got to have quite an effect on a riders mentality.
As much as I'd like to see Nicky riding a Pani in WSBK, I feel for him and his desire to stay in MotoGP. That's why I hope something comes through for him. On another note, if I was Suzuki, looking for potential riders, and 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden's calender just opened up, I'd be all over that like white on rice.
