I chatted with Valentino Rossi yesterday afternoon in Las Vegas and brought up the much-rumored subject of Nick Hayden leaving Honda and joining Ducati's MotoGP team for 2009.

Rossi was nearly adamant that Hayden has signed a contract to race for Marlboro Ducati next season as a teammate to Casey Stoner.

"I think that situation is completed, it is finalized," Rossi said of Hayden joining Ducati after nearly ten years with Honda.