The Manx Grand Prix and Classic TT have been given more breathing room in 2026, with organisers building extra contingency time into the schedule after the disruption that hit the TT earlier this summer.
Gary Thompson said he is confident the programme can absorb changes more effectively this time around. The Isle of Man TT race organiser and Clerk of the Course pointed to multiple backup windows in qualifying week and race week, a direct response to the weather issues and accident-related interruptions that affected the TT in late May and early June.
That TT meeting was heavily affected by bad weather, low clouds and major accidents, and it eventually produced just five completed races. With that backdrop, Thompson said the Manx Grand Prix and Classic TT have been planned to give officials more options if the schedule needs to move again.
Built-in backup periods
Thompson said the schedule includes possible contingency periods on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday afternoon in qualifying week. Beyond that, there is also Friday evening and Sunday afternoon available, plus all day Tuesday and all day Thursday in race week.
“We are confident. We’ve built the schedule to put in plenty of flexibility,” Thompson said. “In qualifying week, we’ve got possibly Wednesday afternoon and Thursday afternoon as contingencies.”
He added: “We’ve got Friday evening, we’ve got Sunday afternoon and then in race week we’ve got all day Tuesday and all day Thursday, so there is plenty of wiggle room.”
Less evening light than the TT
Thompson also said the later timing of the Manx Grand Prix means the event loses one hour of natural evening light compared with the TT. That matters when officials are trying to protect riders and get everyone back in daylight.
“I’m also conscious that in comparison to the TT, we lose an hour’s natural light in the evening,” Thompson said. “Whereas at the TT we would flag all [competitors] at 8:50pm, we now tend to flag all at 8pm to make sure that everybody gets back in daylight.”
The latest cancellation came on Monday evening, when day two of the Manx Grand Prix was called off because of poor weather. Qualifying and Classic TT sessions were also cancelled and rescheduled.
For now, the main takeaway is simple: organisers have tried to learn from the TT’s problems. With several spare periods built into the plan, the Manx Grand Prix and Classic TT should have a better chance of staying on track if the weather turns again.
