2013 marks Nicky Hayden’s 11th season in MotoGP, all of which have been with factory teams. Image: MotoGP.com.

The 2013 MotoGP season marks likeable American Nicky Hayden’s 11th year competing in the MotoGP field, all of which have been on factory machinery.

With Hayden’s career trajectory set to change paths in 2014, we’re reviewing his timeline in the sport’s top tier, starting with a solid rookie season in 2003.

As an American Honda rider from the early 2000s, his step onto the world stage saw him continue this relationship with the brand after wrapping up the AMA Superbike Championship in 2002.

He made his MotoGP debut with Repsol Honda on the RC211V, riding to a solid seventh in his first ever grand prix. He would go on to claim a pair of third-place finishes at Motegi and Phillip Island, finishing out the season in fifth, and taking Rookie of the Year honours.

Hayden’s second season was largely affected by injury, with a training accident resulting in a broken collarbone. He achieved two more third-place finishes but ultimately finished the year in eighth.

2005 was a breakthrough year for the Kentucky rider, who scored his first MotoGP win on home soil at Laguna Seca. Hayden finished on the podium a total of six times, climbing to third overall for the season.

A pair of victories and a packet of podium finishes – no less than 10 – saw Hayden secure the 2006 MotoGP title. The championship win was built on consistency, with Hayden finishing all but one race after being taken out by teammate Dani Pedrosa at the penultimate round.

2007’s significant regulations overhaul didn’t favour Hayden, with the American rider struggling to match the form on the 800cc machine as he showed on the larger capacity RC211V. He scored three podium finishes but could only muster an eventual eighth place.

Hayden improved to sixth for the 2008 season which was again interrupted by injury. He scored two podium finishes in what would be his last season with the Honda squad before a switch to Ducati.

2009 marked the beginning of a new journey for Hayden in what would be a promising yet frustrating debut year with Ducati. He was able to score a podium finish but languished down the order in 13th as the season came to a close.

The 2010 season brought about much improvement. Hayden made a good start to the season and was, with few exceptions, a much more consistent performer on the Desmosedici GP10. He rounded out the year in seventh, achieving a strong podium finish in Spain.

Hayden was joined at Ducati by Valentino Rossi in 2011, a season that held so much promise but yielded little more than frustration. Both riders battled for front-end feel on the bike, with Hayden taking a podium but slipping a spot to finish the year in eighth.

Similar problems would plague Ducati in 2012, highlighted by Hayden missing the podium for the first time since beginning his MotoGP career. While Hayden regularly finished inside the top 10, the GP12 was again largely uncompetitive, leading to a ninth place finish overall.

2013, while holding the promise of a clean slate, has thus far failed to reflect Hayden’s efforts. At the mid-point of the championship he sits ninth, and recent developments have led to the announcement of his five-year tenure with the Italian marque, at least as a factory pilot, coming to an end.