Hopkins hampered by back injury

The Kawasaki rider was initially unsure if he would be fit enough to continue with the weekend following the crash, but he was given clearance to get back on the bike and managed to qualify 14th.

"It's been difficult to ride today because I've never had a back injury before and I'm in quite a lot of pain," said Hopkins.

"I'm finding it hard to breathe properly in places, particularly on left-hand turns, and when riding at this level with the strains put on the body at the speeds we're traveling, it's tough going."

Despite the pain from the injury, Hopkins is optimistic about his race prospects.

"We have a good race pace despite the lost track time and we have to stay focused," he said.

"Overnight we're going to look at some areas to improve the set-up as we're suffering with some lack of grip, particularly at the apex of the turns, and I think with a few adjustments we can improve our lap time.

"I'd have liked to have qualified a bit higher up the grid, but tomorrow I'm going to go out and give it my all."

Hopkins' crew chief Fiorenzo Fanali said the team appreciated the American rider's courage this weekend.

"He is obviously in a lot of discomfort but he always tries incredibly hard and gives us his maximum, so we can only be very thankful to him for that," Fanali said.

"We have a good race pace and although we didn't qualify where we would have liked on the grid, I am confident that the package will be strong."