Bennetts British Superbike fan favourite John Hopkins has admitted he hit a brick wall getting a full range of movement back in the legs he smashed in a Brands Hatch crash in 2017 but hasn’t yet called time on his career.

Hopkins, who was riding for the Moto Rapido Ducati team at the time, slid off at Paddock Hill and went feet first into the retaining barrier, causing significant injury to both knees and his lower back.

The Californian managed to get back more than two thirds of movement in both knees six months ago but has struggled to progress any further.

“The unfortunate truth is I sadly hit a brick wall around six or seven months ago in terms of recovery and range of motion in my knees, leaving me with around 90 per cent in my left knee and about 80 per cent in my right," said Hopkins.

"No matter how hard I’ve tried to push through it along with all the surgeries and various treatment plans.

“This is sadly one recovery wall I’m really struggling to push through and make it back to 100 per cent fitness like I’ve done in the past through all my other injuries and 35+ surgeries/operations.

"It doesn’t help that I’m not getting any younger, and all those other injuries and operations have just gone away unnoticed as well.

“No matter how bad the injury was from broken femurs, shattered pelvis, broken wrists/scaphoids and multiple severed tendons along with amputated finger on the throttle/braking hand, I’ve always managed to make it back to what I thought and told myself was 100 per cent, which allowed me to get back out on track doing what I love and have done my entire life, which is racing.

“I’m not saying I’ve thrown in the towel and retiring just yet although the thought looms, I’ve still got some treatments to try along with possible further ops to have and as much as I’d like to just throw my leg over a bike now and make it work one way or another with my current condition, I know I’d just be fooling myself and just injure myself further.”

Hopkins went on to say he would make a decision on his future before the end of this season.