TT 2023: Michael Dunlop 'struggled' in Senior but proud to be 'second most successful person ever' at TT

Dunlop, who beat Hickman to win the opening Superbike race last Sunday, will now have to wait until at least next year for the chance to equal his uncle Joey’s all-time TT record of 26 wins.

The 34-year-old clinched his third career four-timer to increase his haul of wins to 25, elevating him above Morecambe’s John McGuinness on the roll of honour.

Now the second most successful TT rider in history, Dunlop said he expected more from himself in the Senior showpiece, but was satisfied with his achievements overall.

“I just struggled from lap one. I really thought the pace would have been a lot quicker, but I just struggled a wee bit,” said Dunlop, whose four wins included a Supersport double and victory in the opening Supertwin race.

“The bike never missed a beat, it’s prepped fantastically; I just sort of made a wrong decision myself with a wee bit of set-up.

“I wanted to go a bit quicker because I knew the pace was going to get hotter after obviously the ’stock race, but we just got caught in a rut.

“But it was going to be a tight race, I knew that, but it just took me until the fifth or sixth lap.

“We made a change in the pits that helped me along but I just never settled into it,” he added.

“Regardless of the situation, we’ve won four races this week; it’s good for the team and it’s good for me to become the second most successful ever person around the TT.

“I won on the big bike, I won on the 600 and I won on the twin; I don’t know, I’m a bit disappointed because I thought we had more but it just wasn’t to be.”