Michael Rutter says it is only right for him to step back from racing all classes at the TT and focus on the “bigger picture”.
The seven-time race winner has announced he won’t be competing in this year’s Super Bike races as he looks to support teammate Craig Neve.
The newly titled Bathams AJN Racing team will again field a two-man line up at this year’s TT the third year that team manager Rutter and Neve have been together.
Rutter, who has 91 starts under his belt, will be focusing on his R7 Yamaha and the three-lap Supertwin TT races.
Bigger Picture
Rutter said the decision was made immediately after last year’s TT to drop the 1000cc races from his schedule despite impressive top ten results.
He said: “Sitting on the grid for a Superbike race at the TT is the ultimate and there’s simply no better feeling than doing six laps around the Mountain Course.
“But whilst I was over the moon with a couple of top ten finishes last year, I knew it was the right time to stop riding a Superbike at the TT and look at the bigger picture.
“It’s difficult running a team at the top level and you have to give it 100% time and effort otherwise you won’t succeed. Me racing in all the classes at the TT means that an element of that has been taken away and that’s not fair on Craig.
“My BMW last year was capable of winning but I’m not getting any younger and I’m not getting any faster so it’s the right time to give my place on the grid to another rider and give Craig the full support he should be receiving.”
Come Back
Lincolnshire’s Neve, meanwhile, will continue to ride his Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP in the Superbike TT, Senior TT and Superstock TT races, for which Rutter has bought in a new team-member, his ‘former BSB rival’ Ray Stringer.
His 2024 plans were dashed when he crashed heavily at Greeba Castle during qualifying, a severe knee injury limiting him to just one race, the second Supersport encounter, where a gritty 15th place was the outcome.
Despite that, Neve is ready to go in this year’s race.
He said: “After the breakthrough I’d made in 2023, I was looking to really push on last year and crack the top six, but it obviously turned out to be major disappointment after the practice crash so the aim for 2025 is to get back to where we were two years ago.
“I’d like to better the results and speeds from then and staying with the same team for the third consecutive year is a huge boost.”
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