Maria Costello MBE has a new passenger for the forthcoming TT’s two sidecar races.

Costello will be making her 17th appearance at the event when it gets under way next week.

The Northamptonshire racer will compete in both Supertwin races on a Galgorm Resort-backed VRS Racing Kawasaki Z650, and in the two Sidecar races with her own Galgorm LCR Honda F2 outfit.

Celebrating 30 years in motorcycle racing, Costello will be partnered by 20-year-old TT debutant Alice Smith in the latter races.

The duo began racing together in 2023 and have been building up towards this their biggest challenge to date.

Costello first tackled the TT in 2002 after debuting at the Manx Grand Prix in 1996.

She focused on the Manx Grand Prix from 2005 to 2009, famously becoming the first woman to podium on the Mountain Course with third in the 2005 Lightweight race, repeating the feat in 2011 in the Classic 250cc.

Returning to the TT in 2010, Costello has since concentrated on the Supertwin class, earning four top-20 finishes, with 12th in 2016 her best result. She added sidecars to her schedule in 2019, securing a best result of 16th in 2023 alongside Gary Wheeler, with a personal best lap of 103.189mph.

Maria said: ‘I’m really excited about this year’s TT, as much as I’ve ever been, and I’m equally excited about what Alice and I can achieve.

‘Alice is on a super steep learning curve but she has talent and so much potential, and her youthful exuberance rubs off on me.

‘We’ve had some mechanical challenges to contend with in the run up to the TT but thanks to Wayne and my incredible sponsors we are really looking forward to this TT.’