Michael Dunlop Isle Of Man TT budget holds as costs rise
michael dunlop isle of man sits against a TT that is running with its budget intact even as costs keep climbing. Gary Thompson said organisers of the Isle of Man TT Races are very mindful of rising costs, but the money set aside to run the meeting has never had to be cut.
Thompson, the clerk of the course, said some costs are spiraling in certain areas, yet the allocated budget remains in place for the racing fortnight. That gives the event room to absorb pressure without trimming the meeting itself, even as the programme has been reshaped for 2026.
Gary Thompson on TT costs
The clearest warning from Thompson was about the financial squeeze around the event. He said organisers remain very mindful of rising costs and used the word “spiraling” to describe what is happening in some areas. He also said the budget to run the racing fortnight “has never had to be cut.”
That is the friction point for this TT: the meeting is not being reduced, but the cost base is moving up around it. For a race week that already asks for tight logistics, the budget line is being protected while the pressure lands elsewhere in the operation.
2026 TT schedule changes
Changes to the qualifying and race programme for 2026 are meant to keep things moving more cleanly. Thompson said he believes the revised format will “help things run as smoothly as possible,” and the changes are substantial. The current TT programme has 10 races, and next year there will be three rest days instead of two.
Qualifying week will now include an additional rest day on Thursday, 28 May. Wednesday, 27 May will be a double-header of afternoon and evening timed practice, while Saturday, 30 May will see the opening Superstock race become the first race of the whole event. The first Supersport contest has been moved to Tuesday, 2 June.
Weather disruption and penalties
The changes also follow a year when weather repeatedly disrupted the schedule. Last year, regular weather disruption forced multiple changes to the programme, and the Senior race was cancelled. That backdrop explains why the organisers are building more flexibility into the 2026 format rather than waiting for the same pressure to return.
Thompson also warned of “harsh penalties” for anyone caught accessing closed roads during sessions or flying drones in the vicinity of the course. For anyone on or around the TT, the message is blunt: the meeting is being protected financially and operationally, and the rules around the course will be enforced heavily while organisers try to keep the event on schedule.
