As widely predicted, John McGuinness is to re-join Honda for the 2022 road racing season and will compete at both the TT and the North West 200.

The 23-time TT winner will line-up alongside Honda BSB rider, and TT newcomer, Glenn Irwin at both events.

McGuinness left Honda’s roads team in early 2018 following a huge accident at the North West 200 in 2017 that kept him out of racing for 15 months.

He has won no fewer than 12 TTs on CBR1000RR Fireblades, including five Superbike and six Senior race wins, in addition to one Superstock victory in 2012.

McGuinness joined Norton in 2018 but missed the TT with a broken leg, ultimately returning to the Mountain Course with a winning ride on the Paton in that year’s Classic TT.

He retired from both the Superbike and Senior TT events the following year with technical problems, and recently said on a visit to the island that he was greatly looking forward to returning to the TT in 2022.

Speaking yesterday, he said: ’It’s like coming back home to the family! I’ve been in talks for a while with Neil [Tuxworth] and Harv [Beltran] and it’s just something that feels right.

’It’s the 30th anniversary of the Fireblade, I’ll be 50 years old and also celebrating my 100th TT start, so it feels like it’s meant to be,’ McGuinness said.