TT 2026: Michael Dunlop pressing for Superbike breakthrough with Hawk Honda as Dean Harrison earns big bike favourite tag
Michael Dunlop appears to have work to do with his Honda Superbike as the record 33-time Isle of Man TT winner continued to fine-tune the set-up of the machine in final qualifying on Friday.
Dunlop, who last won a Superbike race at the TT in 2023, did one lap in the penultimate qualifying session at 131.71mph from a standing start before pulling in.
His team worked on the front end of the Hawk Racing-prepared Honda CBR1000RR-R before Dunlop went back out and completed two successive laps around the 37.73-mile Mountain Course.
He lapped at 131.85mph before upping his pace to 132.149mph on his next flying lap, which was Dunlop’s fastest speed overall in qualifying.
He set his personal best TT lap on a Hawk Racing Honda in 2024 at 135.970mph and won the Superbike TT the previous year, also riding a Hawk Racing Honda.
Dunlop unveiled a Ducati V4R Superbike in April, which he rode in the British Superbike test at Oulton Park.
However, he later said the Italian machine, which arrived late, required further testing and development before being unleashed on the roads.
Dunlop rode the Hawk Racing Honda at the North West 200 and claimed third in the opening Superbike race.
England’s Dean Harrison will be the man to beat going by his red-hot form in qualifying, with the Honda Racing rider lapping at 134.877mph on his Superbike, over 20 seconds faster than Dunlop’s best.
Harrison later recorded the fastest lap of TT 2026 qualifying on his Superstock machine at 135.484mph, and was the only rider to record 134mph and 135mph laps this week. The 37-year-old’s 135mph effort was a new Superstock qualifying record.
Harrison was 1.8 seconds inside Peter Hickman’s 136mph outright lap record at Ramsey before high winds over the Mountain impacted his pace.
Dunlop, whose last Superstock victory at the TT was achieved in 2014, lapped at 131.946mph on his MD Racing BMW on Friday afternoon.
The TT’s most successful rider will be looking to make a step forward in Saturday’s scheduled opening Superstock TT over three laps (11:00 BST).
The six-lap Superbike race on Sunday is scheduled for 13:30 BST, when Harrison will take his place on Glencrutchery Road as the man to beat.
Dunlop is a firm favourite in the Supersport and Sportbike classes.
He has won the last eight Supersport races in a row and set a qualifying lap record on Thursday at 129.557mph on the Scars by MD Racing Ducati V2.
Dunlop also unofficially broke the Sportbike (formerly Supertwin) lap record with a speed of 123.557mph on Thursday on the factory Paton.
The first Supersport and Sportbike races are due to be held on Tuesday.