Isle of Man TT: What makes a winner in the world’s most demanding road race?

While competitors can become familiar with some motorsport tracks relatively quickly, it takes time and dedication to learn the TT course and acquire enough track knowledge to be in a position to challenge for victory.

Experience is the key to incrementally improving lap times and reaching high placings considering the circuit has over 200 corners.

Then there are the countless turns, road surface changes, thousands of gear changes and learning the racing lines involved in negotiating every lap of the course.

The commitment required to progress towards success means that TT racing is a priority for potential winners, as has been the case in recent years for Michael Dunlop, 14-time winner Peter Hickman, Dean Harrison (five wins) and Davy Todd (three wins).

Joey Dunlop and Steve Plater are two who bucked the trend somewhat, winning a race in their second year of participation in 1977 and 2008 respectively.

Combined, Michael Dunlop, Hickman and Harrison Manx have won 40 of the past 41 single races staged at the event, with only Lee Johnston’s Supersport success breaking their dominance in 2019.

Multiple winners such as McGuinness and fellow 54-year-old Michael Rutter, both of whom have decades of experience under their belts, continue to achieve competitive results beyond their peak and Ian Hutchinson, the only man to win five races in a week and with a total of 16 wins, remains competitive despite several serious setbacks in his 40-set.

With races staged at distances ranging from 113 miles to 226 miles, fitness, endurance and concentration are essential elements given the grueling nature of the challenge.

Physique can be a significant asset when handling larger capacity bikes, as was the case with the late David Jeffries, who had nine wins in his short TT career before his death in 2003, and currently with the likes of Hickman and Dunlop.