There WAS definitely bad blood between them which according to MD's book began when Munich pulled its support for the Buildbase team who MD was racing for at the end of 2014(despite an all round great season with Michael getting wins at the NW and TT and also Kiyonari finishing runner up to Byrne in BSB) then in 2016 MD was riding for Builbase again and Hutchy his main rival was the fella on the Munich backed Tyco bike so it all boiled over. HOWEVER it has been said for many years going back to the days when Tyco were Relentless Suzuki that Phillip Neill wanted MD on one of his bikes and in an interview I saw this year he looked chuffed to bits when MD had signed to race a superbike for them. So I don't know what to think about it.

I will stand by what I said though about the problems they had at the TT with the superbike being down to the deal being put together so late in the year and not getting the miles in. Dean Harrison this year did the Donington and Oulton Park weekends of BSB where including the free practice sessions, qualy, warm up and races he covered in excess of 400 miles so it came as no surprise he was riding as fast as he was this year as the more miles you do the sharper you are.