Tom Birchall: Most successful TT sidecar passenger retires

Ben (left) and Tom Birchall's partnership at the TT earned them 14 race wins

Sidecar passenger Tom Birchall, who is the most successful TT passenger of all time, has announced his immediate retirement from racing.

The 36-year-old from Mansfield has achieved 14 race wins at the Isle of Man event over the past decade, alongside his brother Ben Birchall.

He said while it had not been an easy decision, recent success meant "the timing feels as right as it can do".

The pair became the first team to lap the course at 120mph at the 2023 event.

The siblings have also won four Sidecar World Championships and the British Champion since their partnership on three wheels began two decades ago.

Tom Birchall said: "The TT is the pinnacle for me and while it might only be a couple weeks of the year, it takes a lot of sacrifices and hard work all year round to get to a level that allows us to keep pushing and pushing.

"Now feels like the time to take a break from that cycle and start a new chapter in life, but Ben knows I'll always be there in any way I can to keep the Birchall name on top."

The Birchall brothers won both sidecar races at the 2023 TT races in June

Reflecting on his younger sibling's decision to retire, Ben Birchall said: "Racing together has been our way of life for so long now that, in a way, you take it for granted.

"It's only now that Tom's decided to step away that I've been able to appreciate what an incredible career he's had."

The 46-year-old, who is three wins away from equalling Dave Molyneux's record of 17 TT sidecar wins, has confirmed he will be competing at the 2024 races with a new passenger.

"It will feel totally different and take time to get used to competing without him, but I'm still totally committed to racing and so it's the start of a new and exciting chapter," he added.