Michael Dunlop and TRT27 Racing team claim 16th overall in Le Mans 24-Hours race and seventh in Superstock class

Dunlop and team-mates Ben Luxton, Tom Ward, and Tom Oliver were riding a Honda Fireblade at the iconic motorcycle race for the French team.

The race was won by the Yoshimura SERT Suzuki squad of Dan Linfoot, Gregg Black and Etienne Masson.

Ballymoney rider Dunlop previously raced at Le Mans with the Honda TT Legends team in 2013, the same year he famously sealed a breakthrough Superbike victory at the Isle of Man TT.

Last year, the 35-year-old rode Honda Fireblade machinery in the Superbike and Superstock classes on the roads for the Hawk Racing ream and returned to the top step in the blue riband class at the TT, where he won the Superbike race and lapped at over 135mph.

Dunlop has yet to officially confirm his line-up of machines for 2024.

The gruelling endurance race at Le Mans offered him the chance to clock up some serious miles ahead of the North West 200 (May 8-11) and TT, which begins with opening practice on Monday, May 27.

Dunlop’s four wins at the TT last June lifted him to second in the hall of fame with 25 victories, surpassing England’s John McGuinness who has won 23 times at the event.

He is now only one victory behind the all-time record held by his famous uncle Joey, who achieved his final three TT wins around the 37.73-mile Mountain Course in 2000 shortly before he tragically lost his life in a racing incident at Tallinn in Estonia.

Dunlop hasn’t ruled out the prospect of more endurance racing this year and says he would jump at the chance to race at Suzuki in Japan.

“I’d love to and obviously a massive goal would be to go and do Suzuka but it’s never that easy, but time will tell probably,” he said.

“I’d love to do it if it’s possible just because Suzuka is the be all and end all, isn’t it really.

“There’s just something about Suzuka; especially with the Japanese manufacturers it seems to be the pinnacle of the sport.”