Dunlop storms to 34th Isle of Man TT victory

Michael Dunlop crushed the field in a delayed and shortened Supersport showdown, while Josh Brookes recovered from a slow start to fight through for fifth

Michael Dunlop continued his remarkable Isle of Man TT run with victory in the Supersport race, claiming his 34th TT win, his ninth in a row in the class and the 53rd podium finish of his career. The Northern Irishman also produced the fastest lap of the race at 127.672mph.

The race had originally been due to start at 11am, but poor weather on Monday and overnight rain left the roads needing extra time to dry, forcing a four-hour delay. Officials eventually got the race underway at 3pm, although it was shortened from four laps to three. Conditions were largely good by then, despite the expected damp patches still lingering at Glen Helen, Glentramman, Ramsey Hairpin and the Waterworks.

Mike Browne led the field away on the Boyce Precision Engineering by Russell Racing Yamaha, but by the time the riders reached Glen Helen, it was Dean Harrison in front, 1.6 seconds clear of Dunlop. Browne was third, 4.2 seconds further back. Paul Jordan slotted into fourth on the Jackson Racing powered by Prosper2 Ducati, just 0.3 seconds behind Browne, while Peter Hickman and Dominic Herbertson completed the top six. Josh Brookes, despite being fourth fastest in qualifying on the Uggly & Co. Racing Suzuki, was back in 10th in the early going.

Harrison increased his lead over Dunlop to 2.1 seconds by Ballaugh, with Browne still holding third, although he had drifted to 7.9 seconds behind Dunlop. Dunlop then responded strongly on the run to Ramsey, cutting Harrison’s lead to just 1.1 seconds. Jordan also found a way past Browne for third, aided somewhat by a tow from Harrison.

There was almost nothing between the two leaders at the Bungalow, and when they completed the opening lap and served their mandatory pit stops, Dunlop emerged in front. His lap of 126.602mph gave him the lead over Harrison, who recorded 126.587mph, by just 0.127 seconds. Jordan, lapping at 125.159mph, held third and was just under six seconds ahead of Hickman on 124.479mph. Herbertson and Brookes completed the top six at that point.

Browne’s race then took a major hit when he was penalised 30 seconds for breaking the 60km/h pit-lane speed limit, effectively dropping him out of contention for the top five. Conor Cummins was also handed a penalty for the same offence.

At Glen Helen on lap two, Dunlop had stretched his lead over Harrison to 2.3 seconds. Jordan remained third, while Herbertson had moved into fourth after Hickman lost time in the pits when his filler cap would not open.

Dunlop’s advantage continued to build from there. By the second jump over Ballaugh Bridge it was close to four seconds, and by Ramsey he had extended it to 7.2 seconds as he began another charge across the Mountain. Hickman, meanwhile, was making up for lost time and regained fourth as he closed in on Jordan.

Starting the third and final lap, Dunlop’s lead had blown out to 12.5 seconds, and Harrison’s hopes of challenging for the win were fading. Jordan still held third, but Hickman was charging hard and was only 1.8 seconds behind as he began the last 37.73 miles. Herbertson remained in fifth, 13.4 seconds behind Hickman but 7.3 seconds clear of Brookes.

By the third run through Glen Helen, Dunlop’s lead was 16.1 seconds. Hickman’s late-race pace carried him into third, 2.3 seconds ahead of Jordan. Herbertson and Brookes held station in fifth and sixth, while Jamie Coward had trimmed the gap to Brookes to within four seconds.

Dunlop never looked under threat over the remainder of the lap. With the fastest lap of the race, 127.672mph, he sealed victory by 24.47 seconds from Harrison, whose best lap was 126.258mph. Hickman completed the podium with a best of 127.215mph, with the same three riders from Sunday’s Superbike race again filling the top three, although in a different order. Hickman’s final lap was only four seconds slower than Dunlop’s as he surged into third.

Jordan finished fourth, matching his result from the second Supersport race a year ago. Brookes came through for fifth after shadowing Hickman on the road on the final lap and overhauling Herbertson, who had spent much of the race running an impressive fifth before eventually slipping to sixth.

Coward took seventh, with Shaun Anderson eighth, Ian Hutchinson ninth and Browne rounding out the top 10. Without his penalty, Browne would have finished fifth.

Just outside the top 10, David Johnson brought the CD Racing Kawasaki home in 11th, while Cummins recovered from his own penalty to finish 12th. Mitch Rees claimed 13th, Joe Yeardsley was 16th, Michael Russell 17th, Jamie Cringle 18th, Barry Furber 19th and Frenchman Pierre Yves Bian 20th. Bian also set a personal best lap of the Mountain Course at 121.927mph.

Michael Dunlop
“It was good. The bike’s been good all week, we’ve been really comfortable, so the main thing was to try and put it [on the podium] today. The conditions were a bit strange today, but the bike never missed a beat, the boys worked really hard, and it was nice to be back in here winning again. It’s been good all week, it was good last year. It’s like everyone else’s bike, it’s a next generation bike, and the bike’s good. We’ve been working well with the bike, the team’s working really good. So, it’s great to have another win under my belt. To be honest, I really couldn’t care. As long as I’m looking after it myself, that’s all I’m worried about. The job’s good, the bike’s good. Thanks to all the team, everybody that’s making the project settle. It’s good to repay them today.”

2026 Isle of Man TT Supersport Race 1