The season started on 24 February at Losail and finished on 7 October at Magny-Cours after 13 rounds.
The main title contenders were 2004 champion James Toseland on a Honda, 2006 champion Troy Bayliss on a Ducati, former MotoGP rider Max Biaggi on a Suzuki, and Noriyuki Haga on a Yamaha.
To satisfy homologation requirements, Ducati produced 150 limited edition 999 models.
This was also the final season Corona Extra provided title sponsorship, having done so since 1998.
Bold – Pole positionItalics – Fastest lap On 20 March DFX Honda dropped Steve Martin from their rider lineup due to a lack of funds.