Buchanan Finds Positives After Tough Opener

New Zealand grand prix racer Cormac Buchanan has taken plenty of positives from a bittersweet start to the Moto3 World Championship season in Thailand on Sunday.

The Southland teenager showed clear progress from last year, turning pre-season momentum into immediate competitiveness from the opening practice sessions. Working closely with his CODE Motorsports team, Buchanan displayed growing maturity and confidence on the world stage.

His race pace suggested he was capable of fighting for valuable championship points. However, his hopes were undone by a mechanical issue beyond his control. Contact from another rider on the warm-up lap caused damage that forced his bike to shut down early in the race.

“On the warm up lap another rider made contact with me and this subsequently damaged my bike which caused it to shut off completely on the first lap at turn 3. It was scary with a number of bikes behind me and luckily I didn’t get hit,” Buchanan said.

“I managed to restart the bike but lost about 10 seconds from the leaders, dropping me dead last. I was motivated to try and catch the race back up but perhaps a bit too determined. I was pushing really hard to try limit the damage and ultimately ended up falling. Yes, it would have been a long tough race anyway but trying to close that gap would have been a great challenge.

“It’s not the way we wanted to start the season but the positives far outweigh the one negative this weekend so those are the things I will take with me to Brazil. The way we worked as a team was amazing, and we’ve taken a huge leap forward from last year – it’s like night and day to be honest – and for me this is the most important thing.

“We have 21 more opportunities this season and will make sure we will show what we are capable of in the next races.”

Despite the setback, Buchanan believes his 2026 campaign is built on stronger foundations after a productive pre-season.

“It’s clear we’ve continued the momentum and I’m feeling more competitive, calmer and confident which is something I lacked last season,” he said.

He said one of his key goals was to carry his testing form into the pressure of race conditions, and he felt the team had made a significant step forward in both speed and consistency.

Attention now turns to Brazil, where the next round will be held at a new circuit for the entire grid. The unfamiliar setting offers a fresh opportunity for Buchanan and CODE Motorsports to turn their encouraging pace into championship points.