Isle of Man TT schedule unlikely to change despite disruption
A review of the 2025 Isle of Man TT is underway but changes to the schedule are unlikely in 2026 despite weather disruption leading to the Senior race being cancelled, the enterprise minister has said.Both qualifying and racing at the meeting were severely disrupted by rain and fog, with most races run on a reduced number of laps. Gusty conditions on the final day of the event also saw the blue riband showpiece of the event, the Senior TT, scrapped.Tim Johnston said while TT 2025 had been "challenging", the fortnight had seen "some amazing racing" despite "the best efforts of weather to cause chaos".
Tens of thousands of visitors travelled to the island for the event between 26 May until 7 June, which saw racing take place on 37.7-miles (61km) of closed public roads.Tim Glover MHK asked whether the schedule, introduced in 2023, would be tweaked to give "more certainty" to the running of the Senior race, which was the last in the schedule, next year.Johnston explained that debriefs "at all levels" with "all key stakeholders" were taking place, with the results expected in the coming weeks. But he said any changes would require discussions to "assess whether that was necessary".
'Opportunity missed'
Meanwhile, the chief minister said ways of creating a "more prominent visual welcome" to Isle of Man from senior politicians for TT visitors would be considered ahead of next year's event.Alfred Cannan was challenged over there being no visible message from Manx politicians among the safety reminders, event updates and public health guidance issued during the festival.Glover said the lack of a "safe travels" campaign was a "PR opportunity missed" by central government.Cannan conceded it was a "valid point" and but said any future government messaging needed to remain "meaningful" to TT visitors.He said the current schedule had been implemented following consultation with race organisers, competitors, teams, and medics. Cannan told members there had been a "coordinated" effort across government to "deliver clear practical information" during the event.He said figures such as former TT winner Milky Quayle had been chosen for their "strong connection to the audience", which recognised the important role the right people could can play in promoting the island globally.Cannan said there was "absolutely a role to play" for politicians in promoting the island and welcoming fans.However, that would "need to be put in context with what is meaningful to our visitors", he added.
Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
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