Hayden devastated by retirement

Last year's world champion had put eventual race winner Casey Stoner under pressure in the opening laps, only to stop with an engine problem just before half-distance.

"It hurts," Hayden admitted. "Obviously we had a good race going and I was having fun for once, being up front. That's the closest I've been to leading a race this year.

"Sure, Casey was strong, but that was by far the best my bike had felt. There were places where he was real strong but there were places where I felt my bike was working a little bit better and I was able to make up some time on him.

"We could've done with a good result and to at least keep the pressure on him."

Although the other Michelin runners faded in the second half of the race, Hayden reckoned he might have been able to maintain his pace.

"My tyre was not too bad," he said. "Sure, on corner entry it was getting a little bit loose, but Casey in some places was getting a little bit loose too.

"I felt I could run that pace. I don't know what tyres he chose, I had the hardest tyre in my allocation."

Stoner paid tribute to Hayden's performance, and conceded that he had been hard-pressed to hold the Honda off.

"Nicky was really pushing in the beginning," said the champion. "He definitely wasn't letting me go at all. He was pretty much on my rear wheel all the way and every time I read my pitboard he was right there."

Hayden's discontent was obvious as he angrily walked away from his parked bike, but he said he had felt worst in the early part of the season - when he had struggled to adapt to the 800cc Honda and languished in the midfield for several races.

"Some of the races at the beginning of the year were probably more frustrating because at least today I felt like I was doing my job and it was hard to say that when I was 12th..." he said.