- Ian Hutchinson launches TeamRST, his first own team in 21 years, running BMW machinery
- Paul Jordan switches to the Ducati Panigale V2 in the Supersport class
- Davey Todd fighting to make the TT after a serious Daytona crash
The Isle of Man TT 2026, scheduled from 25 May to 6 June, is fast approaching. While some riders are extending existing partnerships and preparing for the season in familiar surroundings, one of the most prominent personnel moves of the year is commanding particular attention: Ian Hutchinson is making a fresh start at the age of 46, heading up an entirely new team at the Mountain Course. At the same time, uncertainty looms over the entire pre-season period regarding the fitness of Davey Todd, who faces a race against time after a serious crash in the United States.
Ian Hutchinson, Bingley, Tyco BMW Motorrad wins the TT Superbike Race from Peter Hickman, Louth, Smiths Racing and Dean Harrison, Bradford, Silicone Engineering
Ian Hutchinson and TeamRST: A Comeback on His Own Terms
With 16 victories at the Tourist Trophy, Ian Hutchinson is the fourth most successful solo rider in the history of the race, behind Michael Dunlop (33 wins), Joey Dunlop (26) and John McGuinness (23). In 2010 he became the only rider ever to win all five solo races in a single TT week, doing so on a Honda run by the Padgetts team. His most recent victory, however, dates back to 2017, when he won the Superstock race.
Since then, the Yorkshireman has endured a long road of suffering. His left leg has been operated on and reconstructed more than 30 times following various accidents. In 2023, Hutchinson suffered a stroke while cycling in Spain, but returned to the island in 2024 with the Milenco by Padgetts team, finishing twelfth in the Senior race and the first Superstock race. In 2025 he rode for Michael Laverty’s MLAV Racing and scored his best result since 2022 with a fifth place in the first Superstock race, supplemented by two ninth-place finishes in the second Superstock and Superbike races.
For 2026, Hutchinson is charting an entirely new course. For the first time in 21 years he is running his own team again. TeamRST is a collaboration with British motorcycle clothing manufacturer RST (Rhino Sports Technology), who as the official safety partner of the TT are fielding their own race team for the first time. Hutchinson will pilot a BMW M1000 RR in the Superbike, Superstock and Senior classes. In the Supersport class, he will ride separately for Northern Irish outfit Burrows Engineering/RK Racing on a Ducati Panigale V2.
“It’s been 21 years since I last ran my own team, and now feels like the right time to do it again. It’s slightly daunting, but this project is very personal to me. After everything I’ve experienced at the TT I still have that drive to prove we can compete at the very front.”
Hutchinson says he has been heavily involved in building the team structure and the motorcycles. The bikes were built at SMR Performance. Technical partners include Arai, EK Chain, D3O, Motul, In&motion and Quad Lock, among others. Stuart Millington, VP of RST, said: “Launching TeamRST is a defining moment for our brand. We’re doing this with one goal, giving Ian the package he needs to win at this year’s Isle of Man TT. We have been working with Ian for over 15 years.” The team’s preparations and TT campaign are also set to be documented in a dedicated series.
PICTURE BY STEPHEN DAVISON
Davey Todd: Racing Against the Clock After Daytona Crash
A major question mark hangs over the participation of Davey Todd, who won the Superbike race at the 2025 TT. The 30-year-old Englishman from Saltburn-by-the-Sea was seriously injured on 6 March 2026 during qualifying for the Daytona 200 in Florida. Todd was competing for the PHR Performance Team, which he runs together with his 8TEN Racing business partner Peter Hickman.
The circumstances of the crash were particularly unfortunate: Todd was taken out by another rider during the first qualifying session. Unlike in the British Superbike Championship, riders in the US are permitted to ride a crashed motorcycle back to the pits, which Todd duly did. His team repaired the damaged Triumph Street Triple 765 RS and sent him back out. However, the steering stops had been damaged in the initial impact without anyone noticing. In Turn 2 the steering locked, and Todd was catapulted into the barriers.
The injury list is extensive: a broken left femur, fractured right tibia, broken right foot, broken pelvis and a broken nose. Todd underwent surgery in the US, with an intramedullary nail inserted into his femur and screws used to stabilise the tibia.
“Daytona didn’t go super well for me. I only got as far as the first qualifying session. I can’t give you an ETA of when I’ll be back, but I’m going to try and be back as soon as possible. I’m going to work really hard.”
His girlfriend Abbie Raven has been looking after him since the accident. Todd is already standing on his left leg and has begun rehabilitation, but a start at the North West 200 in early May is considered unlikely. Whether he will be fit enough in time for the TT practice week starting on 25 May to tackle the gruelling races around the 37-mile Mountain Course remains to be seen.
Todd had originally been set to compete alongside Hickman as an official BMW Motorrad factory team at both the NW200 and the TT on M1000RR Superbikes, plus outings on the PHR Triumph 765 in the Supersport class. Hickman himself also suffered two heavy crashes at Daytona but escaped without injury.
Paul Jordan Extends with Jackson Racing and Switches to Ducati
Paul Jordan heads into his third year with the Jackson Racing powered by Prosper2 team in 2026. The 34-year-old Northern Irishman enjoyed his best TT to date in 2025: a podium finish (third) in the first Supertwin race, followed by fourth in the second. Jordan set personal bests in every class. His final lap in the second Supertwin race at 121.899 mph (approximately 196.2 km/h) made him the third-fastest rider in the history of the class. He finished tenth in the Superbike race, while in the Supersport class he took fourth with a personal best of 126.358 mph (approximately 203.4 km/h) on the 600cc Honda.
For 2026, much remains the same: Jordan will continue to ride the Aprilia RS660 in the new Sportbike class (formerly the Supertwin category) and the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade in the Superbike, Superstock and Senior classes. The only significant change concerns the Supersport class, where Jordan switches from the Honda CBR600RR to a Ducati Panigale V2. The machine is expected to be prepared in a similar specification to the one Michael Dunlop used to win both Supersport races at the 2025 TT.
“With the exception of the Supersport class, everything’s the same with the Jackson Racing team this year and continuing with them for a third successive year was a no-brainer. I’ve had my best results with them so I’m looking forward to getting going for another year. The switch to the Ducati is something that I believe will stand us in good stead and I’ve already had a couple of outings on the bike.”
Team boss Alan Jackson added: “It’ll be our third year together with Paul and that speaks volumes of how we see his talent and potential. The Ducati V2 Panigale will be the same as Michael Dunlop’s and it’s all with the aim of giving Paul the tools to do the job. We simply want Paul to go out there and enjoy himself and if he does that, the results will come.”
Michael Evans: 130 mph Club Member Expands with Dafabet Racing
Manx rider Michael Evans is continuing his partnership with Dafabet Racing for a second year. The 32-year-old from Laxey completed his first season with the Bristol-based team in 2025 and made a significant step forward: ninth in the opening Superbike race, eleventh and thirteenth in the Superstock races, plus another top-ten finish in the second Supersport race. The highlight was his personal best of 130.094 mph (approximately 209.4 km/h) in the first Superstock race, which earned him entry into the prestigious 130 mph Club.
For 2026, the team is expanding its programme: Evans will continue to ride the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP in the Superbike, Superstock and Senior classes. New for this year is a Triumph Street Triple 765 RS for the Supersport races, with engines prepared by Peter Hickman’s PHR Performance. The team has purchased the Triumph new.
Evans made his TT debut in 2018, missed the 2019 event through injury and returned in 2022 with four top-20 finishes, including a breakthrough ninth place in the Supertwin race and his first lap above 125 mph. In 2023 he achieved a career-best seventh in the second Supertwin race, while 2024 brought ninth and tenth places in the Supersport class and sixteenth in the Senior at a pace of 128 mph.
“After a strong first season together, I’m delighted to be continuing with Dafabet Racing and preparation is firmly underway with pre-season testing already taking place in Spain. The team has also purchased a brand-new Triumph for the Supersport races. I’m really excited about that as it’s a bike I know well and have had good results on in the past.”
Dafabet Racing brings considerable Mountain Course experience of its own. The team, operated by RC Express Racing, can point to three consecutive Lightweight TT victories and has previously fielded riders such as Dean Harrison, Ivan Lintin, Steve Mercer and Paul Jordan. Co-owner Ben Constable said: “Retaining Mikey was at the top of our priority list for 2026. The results were excellent and, as a team, we want to be finishing consistently inside the top ten at the TT.”
James Chawke Takes the Reins at RL Racing
Beyond the established names, there is also movement further down the field. James Chawke from Rathkeale in Ireland will take over the Sportbike programme at RL Racing in 2026. The 2018 Junior Manx Grand Prix winner will pilot an Aprilia RS660 at both the Briggs Equipment North West 200 and the TT.
Chawke has a solid TT record to his name: four top-20 finishes, 23 finishes from 26 race starts and a personal best of 125.039 mph (approximately 201.2 km/h), making him currently the ninth-fastest rider from the Republic of Ireland in TT history. His best TT result was an eleventh-place finish in the 2019 Lightweight race, in which he beat ten-time TT winner Ian Lougher among others. Away from the TT, he scored a seventh at the 2025 Cookstown 100 and a tenth at the Armoy.
Chawke replaces Welshman Paul “Potchy” Williams at RL Racing, who finished 24th and 17th in the Supertwin races at the 2025 TT for Richard Latimer’s team. In addition to the major international events, the team plans to compete at the majority of the Irish national road races as well as selected outings at Mondello Park.
The Bigger Picture: More Personnel News Around the TT
Away from the teams mentioned above, there is plenty of activity in the paddock. Glenn Irwin, who retired from road racing after the 2024 NW200, is making a surprise comeback at the North West 200 on a Ducati fielded by the Nitrous Competitions team. The 35-year-old had been unbeaten in eleven Superbike races at the NW200 since 2017. A TT appearance by the Northern Irishman, who set the fastest-ever newcomer’s lap at the Mountain Course during his sole attempt in 2022, is not on the agenda.
Michael Dunlop, the record holder with 33 TT victories, is keeping characteristically quiet about his plans. Reports suggest the Northern Irishman has secured a Ducati V4 for the Superbike races at the TT and NW200, in addition to his proven Ducati Panigale V2 in the Supersport class, on which he won two TT races in 2025.
Peter Hickman, holder of the outright TT lap record, has come through the Daytona crashes without injury and is preparing for the season, although he may have to fly the flag for the 8TEN BMW team alone at the NW200 should Todd not recover in time.
Richard Cooper, a five-time NW200 winner in the Twins class, is leaving Ryan Farquhar’s Kawasaki team and switching to a Suzuki GSX-8R run by the Powerslide team for his sole road racing outing at the North West 200. The switch is linked to the new Sportbike regulations, which for the first time in 2026 allow triple-cylinder machines and BSB Sportbikes in the class.
Alastair Seeley, the most successful rider in North West 200 history with 29 victories, is expected to focus on the Supersport and Supertwin classes there aboard Ducati and Aprilia machinery from the Binch Racing team, rather than contesting the 1000cc classes.
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