Isle of Man TT wins record holder Michael Dunlop says he enjoys receiving support from fans from across the world at the event but admits all the attention he attracts can be “a bit daunting at times”.
The 37-year-old overtook his legendary uncle Joey as the most successful competitor ever at the renowned international road racing event in 2024 and now boasts 33 wins coming into this year’s races on the back of a fifth four-timer of his career 12 months ago.
In an interview with The BBC Bikes Podcast, the Northern Ireland rider says he has noticed that he has been receiving more adulation than previously in recent years in light of his record-breaking achievements.
“The last couple of years my personal profile has gone through the roof just because the sport has taken off in different areas,” he said.
“Some people want to be famous, I just want to be successful. I come from a small town and we’re not used to hustles and bustles of people.
“When you’re not used to it it is kind of daunting, and when you’re not really a people talking person anyway it doesn’t help.
“Sometimes some people don’t know how to separate 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 at the world’s most challenging races comprises a record 15 Supersport wins, seven triumphs in the Supertwins class, five Superbike race victories and three wins apiece in the Senior and Superstock races.
He has achieved victories in machines provided by seven different manufacturers from 2009 to 2025 and also holds the record for the number of podiums at the event with 51.
“I’ve always wanted in life to be the most successful TT rider of all time. We’ve moved it into another bracket now, moved from the 20s into the 30s [in terms of race wins],” he explained.
“Joey’s record stood for a long time and when I broke it had stood for 24 years. Not many people get to a point in their sporting career where they are the greatest person of all time in the sport they do.
“For me it’s a massive record and I’ve been consistently winning. For some people that’s not the case. For the past number of years we’ve had a consistency so that’s been nice.
“It’s the biggest road race in the year. This is what everyone plans for, if you want to be a top road racer this is where you have to be successful.”
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‘The big bikes have been a struggle’
Dunlop was comfortably the fastest rider in qualifying for the Supersport and Sportbike [formerly Supertwin] classes but has struggled with set-up on the Hawk Racing Honda he has opted to ride in the Superbike and Senior.
A Ducati ride in the big races had been on the cards but the county Antrim rider has decided to allow time for further development on that project before competing on the Italian bike on the international roads.
“It doesn’t get any easier but we’ll try our best and see what happens.
“The big bikes have been a struggle, we’ve been trying lots and lots of stuff and the boys have been working hard.
“We’ve just had a few things thrown at us that have changed the game dramatically for us for the feeling I’m looking for.
“We’ve made another big change for the Superbike race so we’ll see what that brings us.”
The Superbike race is scheduled to run over six laps (226 miles) with a 13:30 BST start on Sunday.
Dunlop was fourth in the practice leaderboard behind Honda Racing’s Dean Harrison, 14-time race winner Peter Hickman and Josh Brookes with a lap speed in excess of 132mph.
“I’ll give it 100%. I would just like to see me on the right day with everything going right, to see what we’re capable of.
“I’ll push the limits of the material we’ve got and if it’s good enough to do it it’s good enough to do it and if it’s not.
“No track time on the bike hasn’t helped and you’re riding against boys who have been riding the same bike for the past three years.”