Seven different riders claimed Grand Prix victories including first time winners Dani Pedrosa, Toni Elías and Troy Bayliss.
Yamaha's Valentino Rossi fought back from a 51-point deficit to lead the championship going into the final rounds.
Hayden's fortunes took a dip when he was taken out by his teammate Pedrosa at the penultimate round in Portugal, but he bounced back to win the crown when Rossi crashed in the final race at Valencia.
In addition, the surprise win of Elias in Portugal, with a margin of just 0.002 second over Rossi, proved to be a major decider in the championship.
Bold – Pole positionItalics – Fastest lap Points were awarded to the top fifteen finishers.