20 Years Anniversary: Nicky Hayden's 2006 World Championship To Be Celebrated at Austin This Weekend
Hayden got it done at the final round in Valencia—closing the deal on a childhood dream and becoming world champion, the hard way.
by Dean F. Adams
Thursday, March 26, 2026

Nicky Hayden
Even before the infamous Estoril incident, which saw Nicky Hayden taken out by his teammate Dani Pedrosa, Nicky saw every day which way his team leaned—and it wasn’t in his favor. Briefly, these stickers appeared on his Honda during the 2006 season. In retrospect, it’s tempting to say Pedrosa was hexed by his actions at Estoril: even with a team and bike built around him, he never won a MotoGP title.
