TT 2026: Peter Hickman 'fortunate I'm still here' after 140mph crash as 14-time winner gears up for island return
Peter Hickman feels “fortunate I’m still here” ahead of his return to the Isle of Man TT following a high-speed crash in qualifying at the event last year.
The 14-time winner came off his BMW M1000RR Superstock machine at the Kerrowmoar section of the 37.73-mile Mountain Course, sustaining chest, back, shoulder and facial injuries.
Hickman later revealed that the failure of an exhaust bracket caused the 140mph crash, which ruled him out for most of last season.
The British Superbike rider made his road racing comeback at the Macau Grand Prix last November, where he finished as the runner-up behind team-mate and 8TEN Racing BMW co-owner Davey Todd.
Yorkshireman Todd has been ruled out of this year’s TT after being declared medically unfit following a crash at the Daytona 200 in March, which left the 30-year-old with injuries including a broken femur and tibia.
Todd, last year’s Superbike TT winner over Michael Dunlop, will attend the event to support Hickman and his 8TEN Racing team.
In 2024, Hickman also crashed at the TT at Ginger Hall while leading the Senior race, fortunately escaping without any serious injuries.
The 39-year-old from Burton-on-Trent still has some nerve damage in his right shoulder from last year’s TT crash, but Hickman says he can “ride a motorbike absolutely fine”.
He won the opening Supertwin/Sportbike race at the North West 200 last month on the Swan Racing by PHR Performance Yamaha R7 and finished fourth in the two Superbike races.
“Obviously last year was not what we had on the agenda at all but it’s part of racing, it’s the way things go,” said Hickman.
“It wasn’t my fault, there was a problem with the bike, it wasn’t anyone else’s fault; it’s just one of those things.
“I’m fortunate that I’m still here, I’m not one hundred percent still – I’ve still got some nerve damage in my right shoulder – but I can ride a bike absolutely fine, so I’m looking forward to it.
“The few laps that I did do in practice last year, I was actually probably ahead of where I expected to be for how new everything was,” he told Manx Radio.
“If we can build on what we had done already, I think I’m in a strong position for 2026; all us racers want to win and that’s why we’re here.”
Hickman and Todd formed the 8TEN Racing team last year after parting company from Faye Ho’s FHO Racing outfit.
They faced a race against time to have everything ready for the start of the major road racing season, but Hickman and the team are in a much better place going into the 2026 TT.
“We’re a lot further down the line, lots more preparation and we are in a much, much stronger position than we were at this point last year,” he said.
“Even when we came to TT last year, we had to rent a trailer to come here!
“It’s really tough [financially]; it’s tough for everybody and we’re obviously running at the front in the races which is difficult because you need to make sure you put everything into it, but we’ve also got some really good supporters.”
Hickman remains the outright lap record holder at the TT at 136.358mph (16m 36.115s), which he set on his way to victory in the Superstock race in 2023.
His most recent success came in the 2024 Superbike race, when he matched TT great Mike ‘The Bike’ Hailwood’s tally of 14 wins, and Hickman says returning to the top step once again “would mean everything”.
“The last couple of years definitely haven’t gone to plan, that’s for sure, but that’s racing, that’s life; not everything can always been plain, smooth sailing because that’s just not the way of the world,” he said.
“But I feel confident and good in myself. I’m really confident in the team and the bike, so we’ll just have to wait and see, but it would mean more than anything to be stood on that top step at the TT come June.”