Yes, you're right - the human will is much important in this kind of things. By the way I think that the main aim of a TT rider is to win the race and not to do the lap record. Often the lap record is simply a consequence of the will of winning the TT race. This was the case of Fogarty in 1992. And that was to be a very difficult lap record to beat!

I take the advantage to correct a mistake in my past message. The year the TT course sections times were published in was 2003 and not 2002.