A determined ride from Valentino Rossi proved in vain as Movistar Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo won the season-ending Valencia Grand Prix to claim his third MotoGP world title.
Rossi led the championship by seven points heading into the final race of the campaign, but faced the significant handicap of starting from the back of the grid after being penalised for contact with Marc Marquez in Sepang last time out.
The controversy surrounding Rossi's clash with Marquez - as well as the subsequent sanction handed out to the Italian and his failed appeal - dominated the build-up to Sunday's race in Spain.
Rossi did his best to render his punishment irrelevant, surging through the field in the first half of the race to move up to fourth position.
Yet it was not enough for Rossi as Lorenzo held off fellow Spaniards Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa (both Repsol Honda) to take victory and finish five points clear at the top of the standings.
A tense finale saw the third-placed Pedrosa rapidly close in on Lorenzo and outgoing back-to-back world champion Marquez, with the leading trio separated by less than a second over the closing laps.
However, Lorenzo was not to be denied as he followed up previous MotoGP title successes in 2010 and 2012.
WHERE THE RACE WAS WON
Rossi's pre-race punishment ultimately proved too significant to overcome. Although the seven-time premier class world champion wasted little time in moving through the field, there was a substantial gap to the top three by the time he had moved up to fourth. And Lorenzo maintained his concentration to hold on to top spot.
OFF TO A FLYER
Rossi was a man on the mission in the first half of the race as he overtook the majority of the field. However, Lorenzo also shone over the opening laps as he took control.
HOT LAP
Lorenzo completed the fastest circuit on lap three, posting a time of 1:31.367.
RACE TO FORGET
Having come so close to his first world title since 2009, Rossi will have painful memories of the Valencia GP - despite delivering an impressive performance.
RACE STAT TO REMEMBER
The new world champion won more races than anyone in 2015 - this latest success Lorenzo's seventh of the campaign. Rossi only took top spot on the podium four times, while Marquez was a five-time winner but saw his championship defence hampered by a host of retirements.
IN THE POINTS
1. Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha)
2. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) +0.263secs
3. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) +0.654
4. Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha) +19.789
5. Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech3) +26.004
6. Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech3) +28.835
7. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) +28.886
8. Aleix Espargaro (Suzuki Ecstar) +34.222
9. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) +35.924
10. Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac) +39.579
TITLE STANDINGS
1. Jorge Lorenzo 330
2. Valentino Rossi 325
3. Marc Marquez 242
4. Dani Pedrosa 206
5. Andrea Iannone 188
NEXT UP
The 2016 season starts in March at Qatar's Losail International Circuit.