The unavoidable headache challenging TT organisers

The Isle of Man TT is a unique challenge in motorsport. As a result, the challenges facing event organisers the ACU and TT clerk of the course Gary Thompson are also extremely different compared to any other form of racing.

The 2019 TT has so far been incredibly difficult for the organisers. Most of practice week was lost to poor weather, with only three days of the scheduled six of running taking place. That ultimately forced the start of racing to first be delayed from Saturday June 1 to Sunday June 2, before eventually being set in stone for Monday - though two race days would also be lost to the weather. Because of this, hundreds of disgruntled fans ended their trips to the island without having seen any track action.

Television schedules have been heavily affected, and numerous sponsor VIPs were left high and dry by the weather's relentless misery. In other racing series, these factors would be enough to force organisers into a different course of action, but this is not the case with the TT.

Asked by Autosport if external pressures such as fans, TV and VIPs impact his decisions, Thompson replies: "It doesn't, to be honest. First and foremost, safety is paramount and there is no compromise. Irrespective of whoever, [and] I don't mean this flippantly, is here.

"I'm well aware of the TV scheduling, I'm well aware of the VIPs we have. But at the end of the day, my job is to ensure the safety of the riders. Safety is paramount. That comes first and I'll only put the riders out in the best possible conditions."

That is, perhaps, the aspect of the TT most distinct from the rest of motorsport: the danger. The colossal 37.73-mile Mountain Course offers up a unique thrill, and has fast-tracked the riders who have conquered it to legend status. But this beautifully fearsome stretch of asphalt is remorseless.

Since the TT's genesis in 1907, over 250 riders have died racing the course. The latest, 27-year-old Daley Mathison, tragically lost his life in a crash during Monday's Superbike race.

The margin for error is virtually non-existent. When Ian Hutchinson was working towards his comeback in 2012 following his horrific leg injury in '10, his doctor warned him he would lose his leg if he crashed again. He replied by saying his leg would be the least of his worries if he crashed at the TT.

As much as the tens of thousands of fans who flock to the island every year, and the corporate big wigs backing the event, want to see racing, Thompson must ensure the best interests of the riders take priority.

"The fact that there is no pressure from anybody [makes the decision process easier]," Thompson, who says his calls have the "full backing" of the Manx government, adds.

"If the riders and the teams think they've not had much practice because of the weather, then we would always consider putting in an additional qualifying and moving the race to the next day" Gary Thompson

"This is my ninth year now as clerk of the course, and I think over the years the riders know I've got their safety at heart. I'll always consider safety first.

"So, there is a mutual trust between us and they know I'll only put them out in the best possible conditions anyway.

"They know what the Isle of Man is all about, they know about the microclimate on the island. It is what it is."

The Isle of Man's unpredictable nature has forced a rethink on how the schedule is formed, which has led to more fluidity. This year, for the first time during practice week, the option to have a session on the Sunday was twice exercised. The organisers could also schedule extra practices on the Thursday and Friday afternoons to make up for the lost Wednesday sessions - though, these too would be claimed by the weather. Thompson additionally can, should the riders request it, postpone races to make the most of good conditions and run further practices.

This adds further credence to the non-restrictive situation Thompson has for running the event, and, as he explains, reinforces the faith the riders have in him.

"That's where the trust comes in," he says. "Well, not so much the trust, but the consultation process between the race organisers, myself, and the teams. To do something like that, that's where the safety is paramount. If the riders and the teams think they've not had much practice because of the weather, then we would always consider putting in an additional qualifying and moving the race to the next day."

With periods of good weather lacking throughout TT 2019, it would be easy to criticise the organisers for not being reactive enough with the race schedule and bringing events forward as a precaution.

But to bring races forward and cut practice to do so would also be something of a safety issue. Teams know the race week schedule can change, but expect races to be run either when they were originally planned or a day or two later. This means they can plan their practice week programmes accordingly.

"What we don't like doing is bringing races forward," continues Thompson. "Obviously the teams have their own schedules to get their bikes qualified and their own process.

"So, the Lightweight race - we would never bring that forward with the little practice we've had. The riders and the teams, they know the Lightweight race is in the middle of the week, so that's probably a bike they've not concentrated on at all. To bring that forward would be bad. It did happen a few years ago [a race was brought forward] and it didn't work."

Another unique point of the TT is the fact practice sessions and races need to be fitted in around road opening times. The TT may envelope the island for two weeks, but life still goes on for the Manx residents. This was a big factor in the length of delays handed out across practice week - it was a bid to minimise the disruption to the public.

Before any running can be held, 551 marshals must be in place across the course. For those stationed on the mountain, days can be long and miserable when the weather is unpleasant. Longer delays importantly allow the hard-working marshals - who will forever receive the deepest of gratitude from Thompson for their tiresome dedication to the event - time to seek shelter.

After all the delays and rescheduling, questions will now be posed regarding what the organisers can do differently in a bid to avoid a repeat of this year's nightmare.

But, to put it simply, not a lot can be done. No wet-weather racing has taken place at the TT since Joey Dunlop took his 26th and final win in 2000 in the 125cc race. The perils of the TT are great enough, and understandably, rain riding is a risk seen as not worth taking.

That said, tyre technology has come a long way in recent years and the idea to perhaps run sessions in relatively safe damp conditions for non-SBK/Superstock classes has not been completely ruled out. Once more, though, this would only come about following intense consultation between Thompson - who underlined that any such move would be class dependent - and the riders.

"I would never think about putting Superbikes out in the damp," Thompson explains. "But there are other classes that are more suited to it.

"That would be a consultation process between me and the riders. What we would do in that event is do an inspection lap with the riders, to get their views before we made that decision."

Ultimately, there will be years where weather oppression puts the TT into a stranglehold, and the simple - if unwanted by some - truth is that there is not a lot that can be done to stop this.

Safety, as it should be, takes priority. But it's clear Thompson and the ACU have been going above and beyond to ensure the TT can be held, and are constantly changing approaches to aid this endeavour. It is this that guarantees the TT will remain the highlight of the motorcycle racing calendar for years to come.