West confident of fitness after tumble

The Kawasaki rider lost the front of his bike on the entry of the fast left-hander at Turn Six during the morning session.

West suffered injuries to his back and left forearm but still returned to action in the afternoon.

The Australian, 15th quickest, was restricted to just one bike after destroying his number one machine in the crash.

"We had some problems with braking stability this morning, but the biggest problem was the crash right at the end of the session," said West. "When I hit the gravel trap something must have dug in, because I started tumbling and that's what damaged my back.

"It was a bit painful during the afternoon session, especially through the high-speed sections where you need to use your bodyweight to get the bike to change direction. We made some definite improvements to the bike this afternoon, especially with the braking stability.

"Through some sections of the track it's working really well, but we still need to look at improving drive out of the turns; specifically at the last corner which leads onto the start finish straight.

"I will get some treatment on my back tonight, and I'm pretty sure it won't be an issue tomorrow. This track is really difficult to pass at, so qualifying in the top ten is essential tomorrow afternoon."