Michael Dunlop drops Ducati teaser for 2025 Isle of Man TT
29-time TT winner tested a Ducati at Jerez this week
The Isle of Man TT’s most successful rider, Michael Dunlop, has offered a clue about his potential 2025 Supersport race plans after testing a Ducati at Jerez this week.
Dunlop made history last year when he matched and then surpassed his late uncle Joey Dunlop’s record of 26 TT victories.
The Ulsterman took his tally - and the new benchmark - to 29 by the end of TT 2024, in which he competed with Hawk Racing in the Superbike class and under his own MD Racing banner in the rest.
Dunlop is yet to announce his plans for the 2025 road racing season.
However, he offered a clue as to what bikes he could be riding in the Supersport class on the roads this year.
In this week’s World Superbike test at Jerez, Dunlop was spotted on track riding an Aruba.it-prepared Ducati Panigale V2.
Davey Todd, last year’s Senior TT winner, brought the V2 to the Isle of Man in 2024 in the Supersport class and rode it to two podiums.
One of those V2s was said to have been built by the Aruba.it team, who has won the last two World Supersport crowns with the bike.
On the transponder, it was registered under Milwaukee Ducati. Milwaukee Racing is the title sponsor for TAS Racing, with the Northern Irish outfit telling the Belfast Telegraph recently that it is evaluating options for the TT in 2025 following Todd's switch to FHO.
Dunlop had been due to ride for Paul Bird Motorsport on Ducati machinery in the big bike races at the TT in 2022, but that deal fell through at the 11th hour.
During the Jerez test, Dunlop was clocked at doing a 1m48.444s, which was just under six seconds off the World Supersport pole lap from last year.
Dunlop has enjoyed a busy winter, earning an invite to Valentino Rossi’s ranch in Tavullia to take part in the 100Km of Champions event.
He was partnered with last year’s MotoGP rookie sensation Pedro Acosta, who is a self-confessed Dunlop super fan.
The pair finished last in the 100Km contest.
During the FIM Awards gala in Liverpool at the end of 2023, Acosta revealed that he privately messaged Dunlop on social media about swapping helmets - but was blanked by the TT star.
