Michael Dunlop to Ride Ducati V4 R at Isle of Man TT

Michael Dunlop, a 19-time Isle of Man TT winner, will pilot a Ducati during the 2020 IOM TT.

Dunlop, the nephew of the late Joey Dunlop who holds the record of TT wins with 26, will compete aboard a Paul Bird Motorsport (PBM) Ducati V4 R Panigale for this year’s TT, which is set for May 30 through June 12.

The 30-year-old will race the V4 R in the Superbike class.

He will run his MD Racing team in the Supersport and Superstock classes, though his choice of machinery has yet to be announced. It is also unknown if Dunlop will compete in the Lightweight TT.

Ducati is not a huge name in the modern Isle of Man TT races. One notable Ducati rider at the TT is 23-time winner John McGuinness. He finished second on a Ducati in the 2003 Senior TT, and third in that year’s Formula One race.

Dunlop competed aboard BMW Machinery in the Superbike and Superstock classes for the past two seasons. Last year Dunlop’s performance wasn’t typical. He won only one TT – the Lightweight TT aboard the SC-Project Reparto-Corse Paton S1-R. In 2018 he won the Superbike, Supersport and Lightweight TTs.

McGuinness was expected to team up with Dunlop for the 2020 TT. But the “Morecambe Missile,” who has 47 podiums at the IOM TT, will pilot Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR machinery in the RST Superbike, RL360 Superstock and Senior TT Races.