Road Racing Legend Confirms Plans to Compete at 2025 Isle of Man TT
Michael Rutter will compete at the 2025 Isle of Man TT but it a limited fashion
Seven-time Isle of Man TT race winner Michael Rutter will be back competing at the legendary road course in 2025, but he will do so in very limited fashion.
The Bathams Racing team owner has confirmed he will compete for the team solely in the supertwin category.
With 91 Isle of man TT race starts to his name, Rutter is one of the most experienced riders still competing at the event, and after years of predominantly riding for the Bathams outfit, he will have dual commitments in 2025. Rutter has also expanded the team as Craig Neve will be riding for the British squad, however, Rutter's commitments don't end there as he will be in charge of the Bathams Racing BSB team in 2025.
During last year’s TT event Rutter was again competing in limited fashion although he raced in the superbike class as well as the supertwin. Rutter was a double top ten finisher in the TT's Superbike and Senior races, although he was less successful in the ‘small-bike’ class, after finishing the second of two races in 13th.
Rutter will contest the 2025 Supertwin TT races aboard a Yamaha R7 and although he confirmed that riding the 1000cc superbike class is the “ultimate feeling”, juggling commitments as a racer and team owner is not fair on full-time rider Neve, according to Rutter.
The veteran road racer said: “Sitting on the grid for a Superbike race at the TT is the ultimate and there’s simply no better feeling than doing six laps around the Mountain Course.
“But while I was over the moon with a couple of top ten finishes last year, I knew it was the right time to stop riding a Superbike at the TT and look at the bigger picture.
“It’s difficult running a team at the top level and you have to give it 100 per cent time and effort otherwise you won’t succeed. Me racing in all the classes at the TT means that an element of that has been taken away and that’s not fair on Craig.
“My BMW last year was capable of winning but I’m not getting any younger and I’m not getting any faster so it’s the right time to give my place on the grid to another rider and give Craig the full support he should be receiving.”
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After graduating with a sports journalism degree, Robert joined Crash.net to lead the WorldSBK coverage in 2021, while also providing MotoGP coverage. Fulfilling that role for over three years, Robert was able to put his knowledge about all things racing to the test.
