TT 2024: Michael Dunlop's path to TT greatness after record 27th Isle of Man victory

He followed in the footsteps of his legendary father Robert and revered uncle Joey, making his TT bow as a fresh-faced 18-year-old in 2007.

A year later, Robert was tragically killed in a crash during practice at the North West 200, but Dunlop – who famously won the 250cc race at the Northern Ireland road race less than 48 hours after his father’s death – returned to the Isle of Man to further his TT education.

In 2009, two years after his TT debut, he won his first race on the biggest road racing stage in the world, clinching victory on his privateer Street Sweep Yamaha R6 at the age of 20.

Michael Dunlop celebrates his first Isle of Man TT win after victory in the Supersport race in 2009

He was left dejected in 2010 after narrowly missing out on another Supersport success, with England’s Ian Hutchinson making history by winning all five solo races.

Dunlop, though, achieved another big TT goal in 2011 when he won his first big bike race in the Superstock class.

A Supersport triumph followed in 2012, but Dunlop really marked himself out as a force to be reckoned with when he joined the Honda TT Legends team in 2013 and won the opening Superbike race, beating Cameron Donald and Mountain master John McGuinness.

He went on to secure a four-timer, sealing a Supersport double and a record-breaking Superstock victory.

The 25-year-old then made it eight wins in two years at the TT with another four-timer in 2014, dominating the Superbike and Senior races on the new BMW S1000RR to give the German manufacturer a first Senior TT win in 75 years.

He also won the Superstock race and the second Supersport event and had the honour of setting the first sub 17-minute lap at the TT on the opening lap of the Superbike race with a speed of 133.37mph (16m 58.439s).

A rare barren year unfolded in 2015 after Dunlop’s doomed switch to the Milwaukee Yamaha team, but after linking up with Stuart and Steve Hicken of Hawk Racing, he was back to his best in 2016, bagging another Superbike and Senior double on the BMW.

He added another Supersport win in 2017 and clinched the Senior honours on the brand new Bennetts Suzuki GSX-R1000.

A treble in 2018 included an emotional Superbike win for Northern Ireland’s Tyco BMW team after Dan Kneen was killed in a crash in qualifying. Dunlop also won the first Supersport race and took his maiden success in the Lightweight class at the TT on the 650 Paton Supertwin.

He claimed a second Lightweight victory in 2019 – his 19th win overall – before the TT was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

When the event returned in 2022, Dunlop won both Supersport races on his MD Racing Yamaha to break the 20 wins mark.

Last year, he overtook 23-time winner John McGuinness as the second most successful TT rider ever, claiming a coveted Superbike triumph, another double on his 600cc Yamaha and his third Supertwin victory on the Paton.

He opened the 2024 TT in perfect style, winning the Supersport race on his MD Racing Yamaha to equal his uncle Joey’s record tally of 26 successes. It was his fifth consecutive victory in the class and a 12th Supersport win in total for the 35-year-old.

Dunlop then became the most successful TT rider in the 117-year history of the event, sealing a 27th triumph in the Supertwin race on his MD Racing Paton machine.