Belgian rider Laurent Hoffmann says he feels the North West 200 international road race is "a cool event to be part of".

Hoffmann is one of a contingent of European riders who have taken part in the event around the Triangle circuit in recent years and that connection is being formalised in 2026 as the North West forms a round of the newly introduced European Series Road Racing (ESR).

That series replaces the Superbike class of the International Road Racing Championship [IRRC] which concluded in 2025.

"For me as a European rider it's the jackpot, racing with the biggest stars in road racing, so it's a really cool event to be a part of," Hoffmann told the BBC Bikes Podcast.

"I'm happy that I can compete with these big guys.

"Northern Ireland is like the mecca so when a European rider comes to race here it is always hot news."

Read more about the Belgian riders' thoughts about the North West 200 here.

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The newcomers are back on track and we are under way again.

Jeremy McWilliams says he feels "happier than I've ever been" as he bids to add to his three North West 200 race wins this week at the age of 62.

The Glengormley rider has raced across the world during a lengthy and distinguished career, with his accomplishments including a victory in the 2001 Dutch world championship 250cc round at Assen.

Having made his North West 200 debut in 2012, he insists he is still spurred on by the prospect of more success at the iconic road racing competition and says he would never enter merely to "make the numbers up".

"All the rulebooks say you shouldn't be racing or as competitive, or your reactions slow down or some nonsense like that, which I can tell you they definitely don't," McWilliams told the BBC Bikes Podcast.

"It's a self-belief thing. If you believe and you have the confidence and you're fit enough to do the job, it gives me great pleasure to be able to run at the front, particularly in this class [Supertwins]."

Read more about McWilliams' reflections on his NW200 career to date here.

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There is some breaking news from the paddock this morning.

Michael Dunlop has indicated that he requires some more testing time on his recently arrived Ducati V4 so he is opting to ride a Honda Fireblade in the Superbike class this week.

Get Involved

There are 25 newcomers listed for this year's North West 200, with British Superbike star Storm Stacey and TT podium finisher Rob Hodson the most high profile.

Send us your thoughts by using the 'Get involved' icon at the top of the page.

Seven-time North West 200 race winner Richard Cooper says he is "hungry for more" and "feels he has more to give" as he prepares to contest this year's race meeting over the Triangle circuit.

The four-time British champion has won five Supertwins races and two Supersport events at the North West since becoming the fastest newcomer when he made his debut on a Suzuki Superstock with the Hawk Racing team in 2019.

This year he will campaign a Yamaha for BPE by Russell Racing in the Supersport class and switch to a new GSX8R Suzuki for Brad Clarke's Powerslide Suzuki team for the Supertwin/Sportbike category.

A late deal will also see the 43-year-old compete on a BMW Superstock machine for the SMS/Nicholl Oils team.

"I've always been with great teams since I started coming to the North West in 2019. It has always made my journey and my experience that little bit easier, with the guys I've been working with over the years," Cooper told the BBC Bikes Podcast., external, external

"I enjoy being successful and competitive in whatever class I choose to be in. I have trophies for every class I've competed in - first places, podiums.

"I'm always hungry for more and I feel I've got more to give."

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Philip McCallen
11-time race winner on the BBC Sport website

Davey [Todd] must be so, so frustrated.

That is your job as a rider, you want to ride and win races. People like Davey would have been using this as a 'get fit' course for the TT. It must be really hard for him.

Spectators want to see Davey out, Davey wants to be out but the organisers, as safety is paramount, are looking after Davey long term. He won't feel that for the next few days, though.

The newcomers session has been red-flagged but BBC Sport NI presenter Stephen Watson has reassured viewers on the grid that all the riders are ok.

We'll bring you more information when we have it.

Lee Johnston
Five-time winner on BBC iPlayer

I can't wait to get this week's action under way.

We just had a look at the newcomers and you could see the wide eyes of Storm Stacey. I remember that feeling really well and I am slightly jealous. Good to see him getting his chance.

Northern Ireland rider Paul Jordan says he wants to achieve more success at the 2026 North West 200 after clinching his maiden win at the event in 2025.

The Magherafelt man took victory in the Saturday Supertwins race by almost 10 seconds from Michael Sweeney last year after Adam McLean and Richard Cooper collided and crashed out on the exit to Juniper Hill chicane on lap three.

"I'd been going to the North West for a very, very long time and to even imagine having a win beside my name is incredible," Jordan told BBC Sport NI's Stephen Watson on The BBC Bikes Podcast.

"With the North West itself the win was incredible but there was more from the North West itself that made it special with the results in the other classes because in fairness I was handed the win.

"We just have to go back this year and do it properly. I want to go into 2026 a better Paul Jordan than I was in 2025."

Jordan added that he was thrilled to be following in the wheeltracks of the likes of legendary road racing star Joey Dunlop and the other members of the Dunlop family in competing successfully in road racing.

"When I was younger, we used to wave the programmes at Joey and all the local lads and now to be that local lad finishing that final lap around the Triangle is fantastic and something I'll always treasure," added Jordan, who will compete for the Jackson Racing team again this season.

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The live video stream from the North West 200 has now started and you can watch by hitting the 'play' button on this page.

Enjoy!

The newcomers are out on the circuit and the 2026 North West 200 is officially under way.

The 2026 North West 200 promises to produce another exhilarating week of high-speed action over the 8.9-mile Triangle circuit on the north coast of Northern Ireland.

The event attracts the world's leading exponents of road racing on an array of exotic machinery, with an atmosphere to match as thousands of spectators thrill to the action trackside.

Will Glenn Irwin make a winning return after a one-year absence and add to his record tally of 11 Superbike wins? Can Alastair Seeley, the most successful rider in the history of the event, make it win number 30?

Can Michael Dunlop build on his treble last year? Could Dean Harrison claim a first success? Will Peter Hickman get back on the top step? Will Richard Cooper be a winner again? What of star newcomer Storm Stacey? So many questions to be answered.

As this year's event prepares to rev into action, we bring you up to speed with all the information you need to know, including details of coverage across BBC Sport NI.

Read about all the event info, key stats and details of the BBC coverage of the event here.

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High profile newcomer Storm Stacey will aim to make an early impact at the North West 200.

Image source, BBC Sport

Some facts and figures as an introduction to this year's North West 200.

Australian Josh Brookes says he would like to add a North West 200 win to his personal racing CV as he returns to the event this year with the DAO Racing team he will also ride for in the British Superbike Championship.

A former lap record holder at the meeting, Brookes will ride Hondas for the team in the Superbike and Superstock races, plus a Suzuki in the livery of Uggly and Co in the Supersport category.

"I still haven't won a race at the North West and that bothers me a bit," Brookes explained on a recent visit to the Triangle circuit.

"Some riders like Alastair Seeley have lots of wins around here and although I don't see that as a target, there's still that thing inside you that thinks I could have, should have, would have won at least once by now. And I've still got that desire that makes me want to come back and try," added the double British Superbike champion.

After sitting out the event in 2024, Brookes returned to action on the north coast in 2025 with the Jackson Racing team, achieving four top-10 finishes across the classes.

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There has been a slight delay to the start of proceedings on the Triangle circuit so the livestream coverage will now commence at 10:00 BST.

Davey Todd has told BBC Sport NI that he is "gutted" to have been ruled out of this year's North West 200 international road race.

The race meeting's chief medical officer's assessment was that he was not satisfied that the Yorkshire rider had recovered sufficiently enough from injuries sustained in a crash at the Daytona races in Florida in early March.

The 30-year-old sustained multiple injuries in the incident, including a broken femur, tibia, foot and nose and surgery in the USA.

Two weeks ago Todd's 8Ten Racing teammate and co-owner Peter Hickman had indicated that he was optimistic that the nine-time North West race winner would be fit to take his place on the grid for the races over the Triangle circuit.

However hopes of his participation this year have now been dashed.

"Following his injuries at Daytona in March, Davey Todd underwent a medical examination by the Chief Medical Officer at the 2026 Briggs Equipment North West 200 today," a statement released by the organisers on Tuesday afternoon said.

"Unfortunately, because of his injuries, Davey was found to be unfit to take part in the North West 200 this week.

"We are very disappointed that Davey will not be on the grid this year," race director Mervyn Whyte, said.

"He has enjoyed a lot of success at the North West and a huge following who will be equally disappointed. We would all have loved to have seen him out there racing but safety is paramount."

Todd scooped trebles at each of the past two North Wests and expressed his disappointment at the decision to prevent him from competing.

"I'm gutted, I'm confused. I worked so hard over the last weeks to get fit and to come back and race in front of the fans here at the North West," Todd told BBC Sport NI.

"I rode a bike on Thursday for the first time at Valencia and I surprised myself with how fast I was going and how good I felt on the bike.

"Everything was slotting into place. I feel strong, feel healthier day by day and in a good place."

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Get Involved

BBC Sport NI will provide live video coverage of all the qualifying and race sessions on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.

Today, the coverage will begin at 10:00 BST and run until 14:45.

Send us your questions and thoughts by using the 'Get involved' icon at the top of the page.

Glenn Irwin says he considered withdrawing from this year's North West 200 because of the initial technical problems he was having with his new V4 Ducati at last weekend's opening round of the British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park.

Irwin was 12th in Sunday's race and failed to finish race two before improving to secure a fifth place in race three after becoming more satisfied with his machine.

The Carrickfergus rider is returning to the North West after a one-year sabbatical and will aim to improve on his record 11 Superbike wins at the event, which came in successive races between 2017 and 2024.

Asked by BBC Sport NI's Stephen Watson if he considered pulling out of the NW200, Irwin replied: "Yes, that would be correct".

"Without going too much into it I had a really good conversation with the team and with Mervyn [Whyte, NW200 Event Director] on Sunday evening explaining what was going on.

"Teething is probably the correct word. Some things arrived on the bike that didn't work from the beginning," explained Irwin.

"We were still eradicating those up to race three at Oulton Park.

"Some of those, like missing gears and things like that, it's hard enough going round a short circuit running out of road, never mind here.

"But it's all rectified, there's no point touching too much on it other than it wasn't looking so good. We ended up almost as strong as anyone at Oulton in race three."

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