MotoGP rookie Niccolo Canepa literally didn't know what hi🐭t him during a spectacular ac🙈cident at the end of Saturday's wet qualifying session at the Sachsenring.

The ൲Pramac Ducati rider was struck by factory Ducat♐i star Nicky Hayden after the American was launched from his Desmosedici by a huge highside.

Hayden had been sent flying horizontally through the air and straight into Canepa's upper body,ꦰ bringing the Italian down before bikes and machines tumbled through the gravel.

Hayden, who was unhurt, immediately ran over to Canepa to apologise. Canepa was then carried from the track on a stretch🤡er but will be fit to start the race and insists Hayden should not f♍eel guilty about the incident.

"Wh🐽at a hit!" said Niccolo. "I didn't understand what happened until I saw the reply while I was in the Clinica Mobile. When I w🅠as on the ground after the accident I heard Hayden saying to me 'Sorry, sorry, sorry', but I didn't understand why.

"He doesn't have to worry because this sort of thin🐬g can happen and the most important thing is that both of us are ok and read🥃y to race tomorrow," declared Canepa, who will start 15th on the grid.

"I suffered a hard contusion to my back, head and ankle, but nothing is broken. I felt a lot of hꩵeat in my lower back but everything seems back to normal now. I want to thank the Clinica Mobile doctors who have helped me to relax and will do all possible to put me back in top form for tomorrow's race," he concluded.

Six other riders also crashed at the same downhill ♐left-hand turn꧒ eight.

Canepa's team-mate Mika Kallio, returning🐈 to action after a finger injury,𒉰 qualified tenth.

"A very intense day," said the Finn. "This morning we have done really well with a dry surface keeping really close to the first positions. Then, in the afternoon with a really wet surface, we stayed in the top ten a🍎nd conquered the fourth row. Whatever weather there will be tomorrow we can be near the fastest. I am sorry for Niccol? because he was having a good qualifying session and I hope he will be ok for tomorrow's race."