Michael Dunlop said he was “quite surprised to be where we are” after securing third place in the first Superbike race.
The 33-time TT winner finished behind Dean Harrison and Peter Hickman, crossing the line 12.4 seconds adrift of second place.
Dunlop, who struggled for pace throughout qualifying, was candid about his performance in Sunday’s superbike race.
“All week has been a struggle, and it was sort of a knife to a gunfight, really,” Dunlop said. “Dean’s been riding extremely hard, and I’m surprised to be there, to bounce with him.”
The Ballymoney man lost time while lapping traffic and admitted he did not feel deserving of the podium finish.
“We don’t have any pace, really,” he said. “It’s frustrating when you know what you’re capable of, and the performance that I’m putting on is nowhere near that.”
Dunlop also reflected on persistent issues with his machine, vowing: “I won’t be caught the same again.”