Michael Laverty confirms North West 200 and Isle of Man TT race team with Ian Hutchinson and Mike Browne

Laverty, a former British Supersport champion who is now a MotoGP pundit, confirmed the news live on TNT Sports during coverage of opening practice at the Argentine Grand Prix yesterday.

Laverty revealed details of his plans after commentator Neil Hodgson let it slip live on air ahead of the official announcement.

Toomebridge man Laverty is set to run Hutchinson and Browne on BMW machinery.

“We are putting a team in the Isle of Man TT and the North West 200 this year,” said former British Superbike and MotoGP rider Laverty.

“We will have a couple of quality riders on board... it will be Ian Hutchinson and Irish rider Mike Browne. So, we will hopefully be officially announcing it in the next week or so.

“We will be on BMW powered machinery, I am working on the livery at the moment and one of the deadlines is today for RST leathers to produce the suits in time for testing.”

Laverty set up the MLav VisionTrack Academy in 2020 during the UK’s first lockdown to nurture young motorcycle racers before branching out to run a team in the Moto3 World Championship two years later.

This season, young Spaniard Marcos Uriarte and English teenager Eddie O’Shea are competing in the Moto3 series on the world stage for team owner Laverty.

Now, he is embarking on a new venture in road racing with the highly experienced Hutchinson – who has won 16 times at the TT and famously became the first rider in history to complete a clean sweep of the solo races for a five-timer in 2010 with Clive Padgett’s Honda team – and the talented Browne.

Hutchinson missed the 2023 season after suffering a stroke while cycling in Spain but made his comeback last year, teaming up again with Padgett’s Milenco Honda squad.

Cork rider Browne is a multiple winner at the Irish road races and a podium finisher at the NW200 and TT.

He made his TT debut in 2019 and claimed his maiden podium at the event in the Supertwin class in 2023.