“This year Dunlop has new slick tyres for the TT, so the lap record should go”
MAT OXLEY
The Isle of Man TT lap record hasn’t been broken since 2018, which is a long time in racing. There are a few reasons for this. Unlike Formula 1 and MotoGP, the TT didn’t happen in the Covid years, 2020 and 2021. And although the TT is the world’s longest race circuit, featuring around 250 corners, it needs to be in just the right condition for riders to reach lap-record pace.
Current king of the Mountain course is Peter Hickman, who in June 2018 circulated the island’s twisting country roads at a mindboggling 135.452mph. That year’s event was blessed with good weather throughout the two weeks of practice and racing, so there had been plenty of rubber laid down before the final Senior TT, when Hickman set the new lap record and averaged 131.7mph over six laps, including two pitstops to refuel and change tyres.