Dean Harrison made history during Tuesday’s opening qualifying session at TT 2026, setting the fastest-ever opening lap with a blistering 133.925 mph on his Honda Racing UK Superbike. Michael Dunlop (130.341 mph) and Nathan Harrison (130.010 mph) completed a dominant top-three lockout for Honda. Dunlop later topped the Supersport class on his Scars Racing Ducati at 126.922 mph.
Dean Harrison made history during Tuesday’s opening qualifying session at TT 2026, setting the fastest-ever opening lap with a blistering 133.925 mph on his Honda Racing UK Superbike. Michael Dunlop dominated the Supersport class on his Ducati at 126.922 mph, while Paul Jordan topped the Sportbike class. The session ended with a red flag following a sidecar incident at Brandish.
Qualifying continues on the Mountain Course for the 2026 Isle of Man TT. Third qualifying kicks off at 13:00 BST with Supersport and Sportbike classes followed by sidecars and Superbike Superstock. Organisers banned the Parliament Square spectator area for the rest of the event after Monday’s crash injured one rider and eight spectators. All have now been discharged except two fans.
MotoGP will hold its 2027 season launch in Miami, Florida, with teams and manufacturers already informed of the plan. The event leaves Asia for the first time after Bangkok hosted the inaugural launch in 2025 and Kuala Lumpur staged it in 2026. Liberty Media wants to grow MotoGP in the United States as it did with Formula 1, though the Miami event will require significant extra investment from teams and manufacturers. No race confirmed yet.
Marc Marquez is targeting a return to MotoGP action at this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at Mugello. The reigning champion’s name appears on the provisional entry list, but he must pass a medical check on Thursday before being cleared to race. Ducati have everything ready for his return, having not placed him under any pressure to come back before he is fit. Marquez currently sits ninth in the championship, 83 points behind leader Bezzecchi. Mugello could change everything.
Brad Binder has broken his silence on his 2027 MotoGP future. The South African said it looks like he will keep his place on the grid but that he is not yet in a position to confirm anything. With KTM signing Di Giannantonio and Alex Marquez for the factory team, Tech3 is now Binder’s most realistic option, with other candidates unavailable after Bastianini moved toward Trackhouse and Holgado chose Gresini. A factory career over. A grid place still possible.
Ducati’s engineering chief has gone on the attack over MotoGP’s concessions system. Luigi Dall’Igna said MotoGP must find the right balance between entertainment and sport, comparing the concessions system to handicapping a pole vaulter by giving them a shorter pole. He said in pure sport concessions would not even be conceivable, but that MotoGP is also entertainment and some compromises have to be made. Ducati’s 88 race consecutive podium streak was ended in the opening round of 2026 by Aprilia. Gigi is not happy.
A paddock insider has told Liberty Media that Ducati’s plans for their 2027 MotoGP roster are not healthy for the sport. The factory Ducati squad locked down reigning champion Marc Marquez to a new contract while pairing him with Pedro Acosta, making it the most powerful rider pairing on the grid. No manufacturer has yet signed a commercial agreement with Liberty Media beyond 2026, with Aprilia, KTM and Yamaha boycotting a special Jerez event as a show of opposition to Liberty’s current offers. The sport’s power balance is under scrutiny.
The Isle of Man TT has issued a further update following Monday’s serious incident at Parliament Square. The spectator viewing area at Parliament Square has been permanently closed for the duration of the 2026 TT Races as part of an ongoing structured safety review. The decision has been taken to protect the safety of all spectators on the course. The full statement is available at iomttraces.com.
The Isle of Man TT has issued a full statement on the Parliament Square incident that cancelled day one of TT 2026 qualifying. A red flag was issued at 13:30 during the opening free practice session. One competitor exited Parliament Square and made contact with a number of spectators. The rider was taken to Nobles Hospital conscious and talking with leg injuries. Eight spectators were also taken to Nobles Hospital, all conscious, for further assessment and treatment. Tuesday evening practice at 6.30pm remains scheduled.