Ducati has officially confirmed its first signing for t♚he 2013 MotoGP season by announcing a new one-year deal for Nicky Hayden.

Hayden, who turns 31 on Monday, is the 2006 MotoGP champion for Honda. The Kentuckian is currently competing in his tenth MotoGP season and fourth with Ducati.

"I'm very happy💜 that I'll be back with Ducati and back in MotoGP, racing at the highest level for a very important team," said Hayden. "I lov🎃e the guys I work with, I love the Ducati fans, and I love the brand.

"This is an important time for D๊ucati in a number of ways, and I'm excited that I'll continue to be a part of it. I feel like I've got some unfinished business here, and hop🎃efully we can get all the pieces into place and reap the rewards of the hard work we've put in the last couple of years.

"It's nice to be able to make this announcement at Lagun🔥a and to share the moment with my fans, friends and family. If I can do a good result on Sunday, it could make for a pretty special birthday weekend."

Hayden's new deal 🌞was confirmed just minutes before the startꦑ of Friday practice for the US GP and follows rumours that the American's place was under threat from Ducati interest in Cal Crutchlow.

Crutchlow could still remain a factory Ducati optio💮n, should Hayden's team-mate Valentino Rossi not re-sign.

Seven time MotoGP cham🗹pion Rossi, increasingly linked to a Yamaha return, has said he will make a decision on his 2013 plans during the summer break that follows this weekend's tenth round.

The single-year extension for Hayden (most factory MotoGP contracts are for two years) perhaps reflects the current uncertainty at Ducati, recently acquired by ♚Audi, over Rossi's intentions.

Hayden has ta⛎ken one podium finish in each of his previous Ducati seasons and has a best result of sixth so f🌳ar this year.

The #69 is eighth in the world championship, but just eight points behind Rossi, who scooped 20-points𒀰 with a Ducati best of second place in the wet at Le Mans.

Hayden joins Jorge Lore♈nzo (Factory Yama🍃ha), Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda), Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda), Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda) and Bradley Smith (Tech 3 Yamaha) in confirming a 2013 MotoGP deal.

Colin Edwards revealed yesterday that he h🥂as a two-year deꦗal with Forward Racing, although the machinery is a major question mark at present.

Reigning double MotoGP champion Casey Sꦉtoner will retire at the of this year, while Hayden's countryman Ben Spies has announced he will leave the Factory Yamaha team - but is yet to state his destination.