Isle of Man TT cancelled in 2021 as North West 200 faces postponement

The 2021 Isle of Man TT has been cancelled against the backdrop of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
The Isle of Man TT has been cancelled for a second successive year.The Isle of Man TT has been cancelled for a second successive year.
The Isle of Man TT has been cancelled for a second successive year.

It is the second successive year that the world-famous event has been called off as a result of the global coronavirus outbreak.

The news comes as a further setback for road racing, with the North West 200 – provisionally scheduled to take place from May 11-15 – set to be postponed until later in 2021, the News Letter understands.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The official TT announcement was made on Monday during a government briefing.

Next year's North West 200 is set to be postponed until later in 2021.Next year's North West 200 is set to be postponed until later in 2021.
Next year's North West 200 is set to be postponed until later in 2021.

Laurence Skelly, MHK, Minister, Department for Enterprise, Isle of Man Government, said: "We do not underestimate the disappointment that this decision will cause to many people. However, we are making an early and logical decision to provide certainty and clarity to race fans and everyone else involved in our event.

"The TT relies on thousands of volunteers and officials across a wide range of organisations and we could not move responsibly towards operating to that date and commit to welcoming tens of thousands of people to the Island in June, despite the progress towards a vaccination programme globally and on the Island.

"We evaluated all possible options including moving the TT to a date later in the year but there are complexities and risks, including scaling up of certain infrastructure and critical delivery elements of the TT, as well as existing resident and visitor travel in late August, which would cause further disruption to thousands of people," he added.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"We remain hopeful that the Classic TT and Manx Grand Prix can take place later in the year and we look forward to welcoming visitors to our Island again."

The next TT Races will now take place in 2022, from Saturday 28th May to Saturday 11th June.

Paul Phillips, TT Business Development Manager, Isle of Man Government Department for Enterprise added: "Everyone involved with the TT is of course disappointed that the event has been cancelled in 2021, but it's a decision that has been made as early as possible so that everyone who is impacted can plan accordingly.

"I am sorry for all the fans, riders, teams and volunteers who will miss another year on the Island, but we as a team will be working hard to make sure that we come back with an even better event in 2022.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"We are very grateful for the continued support and loyalty shown by all our partners, as well as the event’s fans worldwide, which is a testament to the passion that people have for the event."

* A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Irish and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. To subscribe, click here.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Thank you,

Alistair Bushe

Editor

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.