TT 2026: Harrison Posts Fastest Time of Practice Week Ahead of First Race

• Dean Harrison posted the fastest time of practice week so far at 134.877 mph.
• In the Superbike class, Peter Hickman followed with 132.712 mph and Michael Dunlop with 132.149 mph.
• In the Superstock class, Mike Browne was fastest at 129.798 mph.

On Friday morning, the solo riders at the Isle of Man TT 2026 completed their fourth qualifying session — the final practice for the Superbike and Superstock classes. Dean Harrison topped the timesheets at 134.877 mph, while Peter Hickman, Michael Dunlop and the rest of the top riders focused primarily on fine-tuning their machines ahead of the first race.

Who was fastest in the 4th qualifying session at the Isle of Man TT?

Dean Harrison was the fastest rider in the fourth qualifying session. The Honda factory rider lapped the Snaefell Mountain Course at 134.877 mph, setting the fastest time of practice week in the process.

Harrison had already put in a 133 mph lap at the start of the week and steadily increased his pace across the sessions. Several of his fast laps came from a standing start, which adds an extra challenge during practice. Live coverage noted that he had come through the week without any visible errors and had yet to show his full potential.

How does the Superbike qualifying ranking look after Q4?

Peter Hickman and Michael Dunlop slotted in behind Harrison. According to the official results of the fourth qualifying session, the top ten Superbike riders were as follows:

1. Dean Harrison (Honda), 134.877 mph
2. Peter Hickman (BMW), 132.712 mph
3. Michael Dunlop (Honda), 132.149 mph
4. John McGuinness (Honda), 130.903 mph
5. Josh Brookes (Honda), 130.547 mph
6. Ian Hutchinson (BMW), 130.052 mph
7. David Johnson (Kawasaki), 129.789 mph
8. Nathan Harrison (Honda), 129.722 mph
9. Phillip Crowe (BMW), 128.270 mph
10. Rob Hodson (Honda), 126.619 mph

John McGuinness, who is celebrating his 30th TT anniversary this year, remained within striking distance in fourth place. Michael Dunlop appeared increasingly comfortable on his Honda and posted one of his fastest Superbike laps of the week after a shortened first attempt.

What happened in the Superstock class?

Mike Browne posted the fastest Superstock time. He led the field at 129.798 mph on his Honda, closely followed by Peter Hickman at 129.725 mph.

The top ten Superstock riders from the fourth qualifying session:

1. Mike Browne (Honda), 129.798 mph
2. Peter Hickman (BMW), 129.725 mph
3. Josh Brookes (Honda), 129.196 mph
4. Jamie Coward (Honda), 128.317 mph
5. Paul Jordan (Honda), 128.055 mph
6. David Johnson (Kawasaki), 127.891 mph
7. Marcus Simpson (Honda), 127.297 mph
8. Shaun Anderson (BMW), 126.764 mph
9. Julian Trummer (BMW), 126.318 mph
10. Maurizio Bottalico (BMW), 125.029 mph

Peter Hickman was critical of his Superstock machine. He said the bike was not holding its line properly and was reaching the apex too late in fast corners, prompting his team to review the data once more.

Why did the top riders focus on the Superbike?

The morning’s emphasis was on the Superbikes, as these machines offer more setup options and therefore take longer to dial in. With the first Superbike race imminent, it was crucial for the teams to establish a clear setup direction early on.

Josh Brookes was deciding whether to contest the Senior on the Superbike or the Superstock and used the session to compare both machines directly. Ian Hutchinson had unexpectedly switched tyre brands mid-week, which his team said presented a short-notice challenge. Peter Hickman described his situation openly, saying “the Superbike feels better than the Superstock bike which is quite unusual.” He also admitted he was not at one hundred per cent physically.

Dominic Herbertson experienced an electronics intervention on his BMW during the session but took it in stride, commenting: “They’re not faults, they’re features.”

Why are there no sidecars at the TT 2026?

The sidecar class has been suspended for the remainder of the event. The decision followed a series of serious incidents, most recently the crash involving brothers Ryan and Callum Crowe during the third qualifying session at Crosby on Wednesday.

As the organisers confirmed in a statement, the decision was taken as a precautionary measure in the interest of rider and spectator safety following a technical and operational review. There had already been a separate incident involving Maria Costello and her passenger Shaun Parker. In the live broadcast, the loss of the class was described as a significant blow, as the sidecar teams are widely regarded as particularly down-to-earth and close-knit.

When do the races at the Isle of Man TT 2026 begin?

Following the conclusion of qualifying on Friday, the races begin on Saturday, 30 May. The fourth qualifying session marked the final practice day of TT week 2026 and provided a first indication of the balance of power ahead of the scoring races.

After the Superbike and Superstock sessions, further practice runs for the Supersport and Sportbike classes were scheduled on Friday. Whether Harrison’s advantage will carry over into the races traditionally depends on tyre choice, weather and race distance, as no points are awarded during qualifying.

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