John McGuinness admits: “It’s like an addiction – I can’t stop.”

John McGuinness has only just wrapped up his season. In the final races of the National Superstock 1000 Championship at Brands Hatch, he finished 18th and 12th in cold and wet conditions. Afterwards, the 54-year-old evergreen seemed quite satisfied with his performance. “On the starting grid, I thought to myself that a good result wouldn’t be possible. But I quickly found a good rhythm. I’m pleased that, after finishing 18th, I was able to pick up a few more points,” he told TNT Sports.

During the interview, he also hinted that he is far from thinking about hanging up his helmet. “My job has changed a bit recently. I’m a brand ambassador and there are other tasks to take care of at Honda as well, but I still feel the urge to slip into my leathers. It’s obviously like an addiction; I just can’t stop. Even though I’ve put on a bit of weight now, the fire still burns inside me.”

One factor in particular is driving the 23-time Tourist Trophy winner – who is the third most successful rider in the TT’s history spanning over a century, behind Michael Dunlop (36) and Joey Dunlop (26) – to want to carry on. “This year’s Senior TT had to be abandoned due to an accident and couldn’t be restarted afterwards. But I don’t want to end my TT career with a red flag,” says the father of two, explaining his decision to continue his career at least into next year.

Topic of the week

Topic of the week: MotoGP’s new schedule proved highly controversial

In 2027, MotoGP will also enter the 850cc era with a new schedule. It was not so much the changes themselves as the way the decisions were reached that caused a stir. A prime example of: ‘Talking helps’.

Thomas Kuttruf

Read More