Hopkins in pain

American John Hopkins will fly back to the UK tonight and see a specialist in Derby next Monday to learn the extent of his injuries suffered in massive crash today in Qatar.

The factory Suzuki rider is still to find out whether he has broken a bone in his right hand or his wrist after the 140mph high-side shortly before the lunch break today.

The hand and wrist were so severely swollen that X-rays taken in a Doha hospital proved inconclusive, though he has confirmed that he has a badly broken toe in his left foot and multiple bruises all over his battered and aching body.

Hopkins said: “I’m pretty sore but don’t think the scaphoid is broken because I’ve got quite a lot of movement in the wrist.”

He finished the test with the second best time on qualifying tyres with a 1.55.825 set this morning.