Motor Sport
- Cormac Buchanan secured New Zealand’s first-ever Moto3 World Championship point in his debut race.
- Despite an early crash, he battled through 18 laps in extreme heat to finish strong.
- Buchanan now shifts focus to round two in Argentina on March 14-16.
New Zealand’s Cormac Buchanan made a strong impression in his Moto3 World Championship debut, earning his first point in a dramatic race at Thailand’s Chang International Circuit on Sunday.
“It feels really good to tick off my debut, and I’m proud to score New Zealand’s first-ever Moto3 point in the process. Now the hard work continues so we can add plenty more to the tally,” Buchanan said.
Racing for the Denssi Boe Motorsports team, the 18-year-old started in 22nd place but quickly gained positions in the opening lap. However, he encountered trouble at the final turn when an unexpected early brake from another rider forced him off his line. “I didn’t expect the rider in front to brake so early, and I had to switch my line so I didn’t run into the back of him. This forced me offline into the corner and, with three bikes on my left, I just had nowhere to go and tucked the front. Unfortunately, another rider on the outside was collateral damage.”
Undeterred, Buchanan remounted his KTM despite two bent handlebars and pushed through the intense 40-degree heat for the remaining 18 laps. “It was really hot and humid, like being in a sauna on the bike. I’ve never experienced anything like it coming from little old Invercargill.”
With several other riders failing to finish, Buchanan’s perseverance paid off. “There’s no doubt it was a race of attrition, but I knew if I kept grinding, the reward of crossing that finish line for the first time would come, and to claim my first world championship point in the process was definitely a bonus.”
Reflecting on the weekend, Buchanan was pleased with his race pace and excited about the challenge ahead. “My team and I have worked incredibly hard this weekend to learn a new track in tough, sweltering conditions. The intensity of this Moto3 class is unreal, and I couldn’t be more excited to be in amongst the action against the world’s best, flying the Kiwi flag.”
He acknowledged areas for improvement, particularly in qualifying. “Sure, we’ve had a couple of challenges as I navigate this step up into the world championship ranks, but there are plenty of positives to take away. Our race pace is strong, especially when riding alone, which bodes really well. In fact, yesterday we were only 0.9 seconds off the fastest time. A definite work-on is qualifying and extracting that one crucial lap time we need to be further up the grid.”
Buchanan will now return to his Barcelona base to prepare for round two in Argentina from March 14-16. “My focus is to take all of these learnings and put them into action in Argentina. We didn’t get to show our potential yet, but it will come.”