Richard Cooper “knew Michael Dunlop was there, wasn’t prepared for the speed”

A victory for Michael Dunlop in Supersport Race 1 at the 2025 North West 200 was his first in nine years at the Northern Irish road race, but it was the MD Racing Ducati Panigale V2 that caught the attention of his rivals.

Dunlop, who said after that race that it felt "different" to win on a Ducati,  had been sitting behind the leading trio of Richard Cooper, Davey Todd, and Dean Harrison for the first three laps of the four-lap Supersport Race 1, but was able to pass for the lead on the run to Magherabuoy on the final lap.

The speed with which the Ducati came by both Cooper on the last lap caught the Russell Racing Yamaha rider off-guard, he admitted.

“I could hear the Ducati at the roundabout and in a few places,” Cooper told BBC Sport NI during his post-race interview.

“I knew he was there but I wasn’t quite prepared for the speed that it passed me into the Magherabuoy chicane, before we even got to the brakes, really, it was quite something special – almost like he was on a Superbike at that point.

“He [Dunlop] rode fantastic, he took advantage of the last lap.”

Cooper was pleased enough with his podium, though, and dedicated it to Shane Richardson who died at the Oulton Park BSB round on Monday.

“We’re on the podium, the Russell Racing Yamaha R6 performed fantastic, I can’t complain about being in here, it’s fantastic,” he said.

“I really need to mention the boys that passed away at BSB at the weekend, especially Shane Richardson, I worked with him, [his family] at home. This one, I’d love to have won it for you, but hopefully second is good enough.”

Davey Todd: “I couldn’t even get in the slipstream”

Davey Todd, victorious for the first time in the Superbike class at the North West 200 in the opening race of Thursday, had similar thoughts to Cooper on the speed of Dunlop’s Ducati, saying he “couldn’t even get in the slipstream” of the MD Racing Panigale V2.

“I gave it everything I’d got,” Todd said, speaking post-race to BBC Sport NI.

“Trying my best out there, it’s not easy. A couple of those bikes are pretty quick out there.

“I can manage to just about sit in the slipstream of Coops [Richard Cooper] and do something with that, but when that Ducati came past – no way, I couldn’t even get in the slipstream.

“I tried my best, and I’ve got to give it up to the Milenco by Padgett’s team, they’ve put a great bike underneath me.

“I’ll try my best in the second race and see what we can do.”