Cormac Buchanan is returning to the Moto3 World Championship with high hopes and renewed determination as he heads into his second season with BOE Motorsports. The 18-year-old from Invercargill will race in all 22 rounds of the 2026 championship, which spans 18 countries between February and November.
Following a busy debut year, Buchanan spent six weeks at home in New Zealand focusing on physical training and mental recovery. He said, “Physically, I feel in the best shape I’ve ever been. Now the focus is on increasing the bike fit component even further when I get back to Spain.”
The break gave him time to reflect on the challenges of his rookie season. “I really needed that break after a difficult end to the season and the biggest championship I had ever raced in. I admit I needed the time to reset,” he said. After the reset, he pushed hard in training and limited racing appearances at Teretonga and Ruapuna circuits.
While he hoped to race in NZSBK at Hampton Downs in March, schedule clashes made it impossible. Still, Buchanan made the most of his off-season by staying race-ready. “Every time I go on the track I want to perform to the best of my abilities,” he said.
In his first Moto3 season, Buchanan earned 32 championship points, scored three top 10 finishes, and made nine Q2 appearances. His standout result was ninth place in Germany, just 1.8 seconds off the winner. However, a knee injury in Brno disrupted his momentum. This year, he says he’s ready to build on the lessons learned.
“Heading into the new season, that intimidation you often feel as a rookie is gone. I deserve my place in the world championship,” he said. “I want the best version of myself last year to just be the average version this year – we need to take it up some notches.”
Buchanan is excited for pre-season testing in Portugal and Spain before the opening round in Thailand. He’s especially looking forward to returning to Brno and Sachsenring, aiming to rewrite past results. With more experience and track data now under his belt, he believes anything is possible in his second year.
“I was fast last year and I know I’m a better person, a better rider and a better athlete now so I’m excited to see how that stacks up against the best in the world.”