Michael Dunlop shows his hand in final qualifying session for 2025 Isle of Man TT
Michael Dunlop finally revealed his cards on Sunday afternoon during the final qualifying session for this year's Isle of Man TT Races, following a morning of rain.
The Ballymoney rider took the lead on the Superbike leaderboard, clocking his fastest lap of the week at 132.003mph on his MD Racing BMW Motorrad machine.
Advertisement
Conor Cummins topped the Superstock class with a speedy 129.835mph lap on his Burrows Engineering/RK Racing BMW. Dean Harrison of Honda Racing led the Supersport runners with a 124.736mph effort.
READ MORE: Red Bull Junior Fionn McLaughlin tops British F4 standings following Snetterton victory
READ MORE: Armagh book quarter-final place with a game to spare thanks to victory over Dublin
Paul Jordan, riding a Jackson Racing Aprilia powered by Prosper2, claimed the top spot in the Supertwin class at 118.584mph, while Ryan and Callum Crowe (Opul/Kelproperties LCR Honda) led the Sidecar leaderboard at 119.337mph.
Advertisement
The schedule was altered to allow the Sidecars to take the Mountain Course first, despite damp patches lingering at locations such as Greeba Castle, Ballaspur, the 11th Milestone, Kerrowmoar, Glentramman, May Hill and Ramsey Hairpin.
The session kicked off with Founds/Walmsley leading the pack, followed by Crawford/Hardie, Birchall/Rosney, the Crowes - who were testing a new chain - Blackstock/Lawrence, Ellis/Clement, and father-and-son team Gary and Daryl Gibson.
Newcomer George Holden, accompanied by experienced passenger Mark Wilkes, chose to run a tuned engine for the session. However, it was the Crowes who set the pace early on, reaching Glen Helen a full 13 seconds ahead of the rest.
Thanks to the fastest speed through the Sulby speed trap at 162.332mph, they posted an impressive opening lap of 119.337mph, putting them over half a minute ahead of Founds/Walmsley (115.843mph).
Advertisement
Birchall/Rosney (115.198mph), Crawford/Hardie (115.103mph), Blackstock/Lawrence (112.789mph) and Ellis/Clement (111.314mph) rounded off the top six, with Holden/Wilkes following closely at 109.838mph. Newcomers Clarke/Johnson (109.769mph) and Kershaw/Gibbons (108.393mph) were hot on their heels.
Several teams made pit stops for adjustments or tyre changes, but Birchall/Rosney, Ellis/Clement, and Gibson/Gibson powered straight through. Birchall/Rosney clocked their fastest lap of the week at 115.664mph, while Clarke/Johnson (113.040mph), Ellis/Clement (112.522mph), Kershaw/Gibbons (110.577mph) and Holden/Wilkes (110.048mph) also put in impressive performances - both Kershaw/Gibbons and Holden/Wilkes breaking the 110mph barrier for the first time.
Belgian pair Renzo and Vale van der Donckt upped their game to 107.713mph, with newcomers James Saunders and Sarah Stokoe also climbing the leaderboard at 107.691mph. The session was abruptly halted due to an incident involving Founds/Walmsley at Rhencullen.
Driver Pete Founds was reported to be conscious with arm injuries, while passenger Jevan Walmsley was also reported as conscious with no reported injuries.
Advertisement
After a brief spell of rain, the combined Superbike/Superstock/Supersport session kicked off at 4:20pm. Shaun Anderson (Team Classic Suzuki) was first off the mark, followed by Dean Harrison, Michael Dunlop, Ian Hutchinson (moolab/MLav Racing BMW), and Josh Brookes (Jackson Racing Honda powered by Prosper2).
Dunlop was quickest through all sectors and posted the fastest open.
In the thrilling lap, the lead was taken by a racer with a speed of 131.683mph, followed closely by Harrison (130.666mph), Davey Todd (129.812mph), Nathan Harrison (129.652mph), Anderson (128.965mph), and Rob Hodson (128.798mph). Brookes also set his fastest lap of the week at 128.359mph.
In the Superstock category, Mike Browne led the pack at 129.697mph, ahead of Cummins (129.204mph), James Hind (128.946mph), Hutchinson (128.443mph), Jordan (127.710mph), and Michael Evans (127.600mph). James Hillier topped the Supersport times early on at 123.021mph, followed by David Johnson (121.278mph) and Michael Sweeney (120.797mph).
Advertisement
Several riders switched machines after their first laps-Dean Harrison, Brookes, and Hillier among those returning to the course on Supersport, Superstock, and Superbike machinery respectively. Cummins stayed out for a second lap on his Superstock bike and improved to 129.835mph.
Hodson also went again on his Superbike and lapped at 129.135mph. Harrison raised the Supersport benchmark with a 124.736mph lap, edging out Browne (124.272mph) and Evans (123.280mph).
However, all eyes were on Dunlop as he managed to get out for a second lap and delivered a stunning 132.003mph - his fastest of the week and the quickest of the session.
The final session of the day, for the Supertwins, kicked off at 5pm. Paul Jordan led the way at 118.584mph, followed by Adam McLean (118.257mph), Barry Furber (117.913mph), Browne (117.302mph), Todd (116.522mph), and Andrea Majola (116.207mph).
The first races of 2025 are set to kick off on Monday, 2nd June, with the RST x D3O Superbike TT marking the start of the race action. This will be followed by the 3wheeling.media Sidecar TT Race 1 and the Monster Energy Supersport TT Race 1.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
I'm A Huge Fan Of Formula 1, And I'm Totally Fine With The Most Unrealistic Parts Of Brad Pitt's F1
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Warning: Spoiler Alert! There are spoilers around every corner in this story about the racing in F1, so consider this your caution flag before proceeding. This weekend, F1 ,starring Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem, hits the 2025 movie schedule, and as a Formula 1 fan, I've been excited for this movie ever since they began shooting during the 2023 F1 season. Honestly, I expected it to be somewhat unrealistic, and it was. That didn't bother me, though. Let me explain why. Setting aside the fact that the movie never once showed race qualifying or the three practice sessions that every race has, the in-race tactics of the team led by Sonny Hayes (Pitt) and his teammate Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) are nothing like you'd see in a real Grand Prix. Harkening back to another Jerry Bruckheimer-produced racing classic, Days of Thunder, there are a lot more 'rubbin' is racin'' moments than would ever happen in a real race. Sonny's cheeky moves to disable his opponents and even his car would be sniffed out immediately by the race stewards, and he would almost certainly be black-flagged (disqualified) from the race and possibly suspended from racing. While 'rubbin'' is a somewhat normal part of NASCAR, it's insanely dangerous in F1, where the cars are much more delicate (and much faster). In F1 these days, safety is paramount; the race officials would never, ever let a team get away with dangerous tactics like that. During the Italian Grand Prix at the world-famous Monza, the rain starts to fall hard. This isn't weird; unlike American racing, F1 races don't stop for rain (most of the time). What is weird is the discussion the team has between the drivers, Sonny and Joshua, about what tires they are going to use. The discussion is between 'slicks,' which are the normal racing tires and have no tread at all, and 'intermediates,' which are tires racers use for light rain, which do have some tread to push away the water. There is almost no situation where, in a rain as hard as it is in the movie, cars would ever stay on the track on slicks. They would have literally no grip at all. If anything, the discussion would be between intermediates or 'full wet' tires (tires with even more tread for harder rain). Staying on slicks would almost certainly end in disaster, and it does in the movie. One thing I definitely expected to see in F1 was a big, fiery crash, and boy oh boy was there one! Joshua flies off the track (because he stayed on slicks in the rain) and crashes into the barrier with tremendous force in a fireball. These kinds of crashes are the type you expect in any racing movie, but they are exceedingly rare in real races. Most crashes in a real Formula 1 race are actually kind of underwhelming; a car loses control and spins onto the gravel or into a wall, and some carbon fiber goes flying; there's almost never a fire these days, and the drivers usually climb out of their wrecked car unaided. There used to be a lot more terrible, and often deadly, crashes in F1. The movie Rush, from 2013, features one that was absolutely true to life in a race from the 1970s. However, ever since the death of the legendary Ayrton Senna (who still has millions of fans today, including Alexandra Daddario) at the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994, Formula 1 has gone all in on making the cars as safe as possible, and they have largely succeeded. That's not to say dramatic crashes never happen. During the 2020 season, Haas driver Romain Grosjean flew into a barrier at the Bahrain Grand Prix, and his car exploded into a huge fireball. Grosjean escaped safely, with a few minor burns to his hands, much like Joshua in F1. So, while the crash in the film is something that could happen, it's incredibly rare. While it may seem like I'm complaining about the racing scenes in F1, none of these things bothered me at all. As I wrote, I expected the movie to be over-the-top. Heck, I wanted it to be over-the-top. The racing scenes are amazing. As my colleague Eric Eisenberg wrote in his review of F1, F1 is an impressive technical achievement. It repeatedly offers the visceral experience of being strapped to the hood/side/back of one of the title sport's speedy cars. F1 is so much fun, especially for a fan of racing, that playing fast and loose with reality doesn't matter at all. All the racing scenes, from the moment we first see Sonny competing at the 24 Hours of Daytona, through the last bit at the Rally Mexico are amazing. Because the production had the full support of Formula 1, every racer from the 2023 season make some kind of appearance. It was like spotting Easter Eggs for a fan like me. 'Look! There's Max Verstappen! Hey, it's Fernando Alonso!' There are also the tracks. Silverstone, Spa, and Monza are three legendary tracks, and we get to see all of them extensively in the movie. It's just a really fun ride. F1 is the epitome of a popcorn-chomping summer blockbuster. It's not a documentary, and it's not Drive To Survive (which you can watch with a Netflix subscription). Expecting it to be is, frankly, silly. It will make you a fan of F1, though. At least, I hope it will, because it's a fantastic sport. If the lack of realism does upset you, I think you need to relax and think like Sonny in the last lap, let the car do the flying, and just float into the zone.
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Unthinkable transfer, priority solved - Five players Man United should target from u21 Euros
With no major senior international tournament to keep fans occupied in the absence of Premier League football, the under-21 European Championships perhaps caught the imagination even more than the money-spinning Club World Cup. Advertisement Lee Carsley guided England to a second successive European championship win at under-21 level as the Young Lions beat Germany in Saturday's final in Bratislava. Goals from Liverpool winger Harvey Elliott and Ipswich Town star Omari Hutchinson put England into a 2-0 lead but they were pegged back thanks to strikes from Nelson Weiper and Paul Nebel. READ MORE: Man United receive new Viktor Gyokeres transfer green light as £25.6m 'discount' emerges READ MORE: Bryan Mbeumo to Man United transfer twist as Chelsea offered Ruben Amorim target for just £45m With the match finishing level after 90 minutes, Marseille forward Jonathan Rowe scored the decisive goal in extra time as England ran out 3-2 winners. Advertisement A number of players caught the eye in the competition and, as Manchester United look to strengthen their squad this summer, we have taken a look at five players they should be monitoring in the transfer market. Harvey Elliott To cross the divide from Liverpool to United is almost unthinkable but it is perhaps a deal that would suit all parties. Elliott scored five goals in the competition and was named the tournament MVP. However, game time has been limited at Liverpool and he has hinted he could look for a new challenge this summer. The 22-year-old would thrive in an attacking midfield role in Ruben Amorim's 3-4-2-1 formation and it is a position United need to strengthen. Advertisement The rivalry between the two clubs make any move difficult but if the opportunity arises, United would be fools not to consider it. Djaoui Cisse United need more strength in depth in midfield and Cisse could provide that. The 21-year-old Rennes midfielder helped France reach the semi-finals of the competition and he was one of the standout performers. He impressed in the middle of the park and scored three goals in the competition, including in les Bleus' quarter-final win over Denmark. Nick Woltemade Woltemade was arguably the breakout star of the competition. His six goals for Germany saw him win the Golden Boot and he has a similarly impressive goalscoring record at club level. Advertisement The 23-year-old scored 17 goals for Stuttgart last season as he helped them win the DFB Pokal. United are in the market for a forward this summer and could do a lot worse than the giant striker. Bayern Munich are keen on a deal, though, and United would have to be quick to challenge the German champions in their pursuit of the forward. Lucien Agoume Another midfield option who made quite the impact at these finals. United are known to be in the market for one and the 23-year-old Sevilla star could be a dependable option. His ability to break up the play was a key factor in France's run to the semi-finals and he has already proven he has what it takes to succeed at La Liga level. Rocco Reitz Reitz is a fan favourite at his boyhood club Borussia Monchengladbach and he announced himself on the international scene with his performances for Germany this summer. The 23-year-old would be another potential midfield option for United to pursue but he still has three years remaining on his current deal at Borussia Park.
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Dusan Vlahovic rejects Juventus exit and turns down contract offer
Serie A giants Juventus are facing disappointment in selling Dusan Vlahovic and the striker is digging in his heels to stay in Turin. Fabiana della Valle has reported that Vlahovic is sticking to his initial plan – run out his contract which expires in the summer of 2026 and potentially join a club which can match his current wage because they will not have to pay a transfer fee to Juventus. Advertisement His plan has not changed and as a result, there is no room for reconciliation in the relationship between him and the Bianconeri. He has rejected a move to Fenerbahce and has informed his friends that he has no plans to leave, even if Jose Mourinho is desperate to bring him to Turkey. Juve are now being held prisoner to a massive contract. This is blocking their move for Jonathan David, whose entourage has held key meetings with Juve and now, it is not excluded that the Old Lady keep Vlahovic out of the project. Kaustubh Pandey I GIFN
