Isle of Man TT: ‘Great to have support from all over the world’ – Michael Dunlop

Isle of Man TT winning record holder Michael Dunlop says he enjoys the support from fans around the world at the event but admits all the attention he attracts can be “a bit intimidating at times”.

The 37-year-old surpassed his legendary uncle Joey as the most successful competitor at the famous international road racing event in 2024 and now boasts 33 wins in this year’s race on the back of his fifth career four-timer 12 months ago.

In an interview with Dr BBC Bike Podcast, outsiderThe Northern Ireland rider says he’s noticed he’s been receiving more praise than ever in recent years in light of his record-breaking achievements.

“My personal profile has gone through the roof in the last few years as the sport has taken off in different areas,” he said.

“Some people want to be famous, I just want to be successful. I’m from a small town and we’re not used to the rush of people.

“It’s kind of scary when you’re not used to it, and when you’re not really a talker, it doesn’t help anyway.

“Sometimes some people don’t know how to distinguish ignorance from awkwardness but when people are here it’s great to see the support we get from all over the world.”

Dunlop’s remarkable success in the world’s most challenging races includes a record 15 Supersport wins, seven wins in the Supertwins class, five Superbike race wins and three wins in Senior and Superstock races.

He has won in machines provided by seven different manufacturers from 2009 to 2025 and also holds the record for the number of podiums in 51 events.

“I’ve always wanted to be the most successful TT rider of all time in life. We’ve moved it into another bracket now, from the 20s to the 30s (in terms of race wins),” he explained.

“The winning record stood for a long time and when I broke it it stood for 24 years. Not many people reach a point in their sports career where they are the greatest person of all time in the sport they play.

“For me it’s a huge record and I’ve won consistently. For some people it’s not like that. We’ve had a consistency over the last few years so it’s been nice.

“It’s the biggest road race of the year. It’s everyone’s plan, if you want to be a top road racer, this is where you have to succeed.”