Cormac Buchanan
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Cormac Buchanan (born 23 August 2006) is a New Zealand motorcycle racer who competes for Code Motorsports in the Moto3 World Championship.
Career
Early career
Buchanan was born in Invercargill, New Zealand. He started racing in Junior Speedway at Oreti Park speedway in his home town. He quickly established that he was one of the best young talents in Junior Speedway.
In 2018 however, Buchanan decided to switch to Road Racing. He began his road racing career in the Oceania Junior Cup in Australia in 2019 at the age of 12. While he was unlucky to not take any race wins, from not long into the season he was regularly competing in the lead group.
Following the OJC season, Buchanan began racing in New Zealand, given he was now old enough at 13, in the New Zealand Superbike Championship 150Supersport Class.
In 2020, Buchanan won all, but one, races to take his first NZSBK championship.
In 2021, Buchanan defended this title, alongside winning the 300Supersport title, the most competitive class in NZ racing.
In 2022, Buchanan defended his 300Supersport title alongside winning the 600Supersport title and in 2024 he defended his 600Supersport title. This means he now has six NZSBK class titles to his name, one of the best records of any NZ racer, and one of the only riders to take two titles in one season, several times.
Buchanan was selected to compete in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup for the 2021 season. In his debut season in the series, Buchanan did not score points, achieving a best result of sixteenth place at the Sachsenring. During this 2021 season Buchanan also competed in the British Talent Cup with the Microlise Cresswell Racing team. He scored three podium finishes that season, on circuits and a bike he had never previously seen. This season was also noted for absences due to Rookies Cup event clashes.
In 2022, in addition to competing in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, Buchanan contested the European Talent Cup with the AGR Team, where later in the season he was promoted to the FIM JuniorGP World Championship replacing Italian Mattia Volpi.
Buchanan renewed his contract with the AGR Team for 2023, competing in both the JuniorGP World Championship and the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. His best result in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup was fifth place at the second round at Le Mans. In the JuniorGP World Championship, his best result was fourth place in the second race held in Jerez.
Buchanan renewed his contract with the AGR Team for the 2024 season of the JuniorGP World Championship. That season, he achieved his first podium in the category in the second race held in Misano, in addition to getting his first pole position 56 and another third place in Estoril.
Moto3 World Championship
On 17 November 2024, Boé Motorsports announced the signing of Buchanan for the 2025 season of the Moto3 World Championship, becoming the first New Zealand rider to compete full-time in Moto3 and the first full-time New Zealand rider in the MotoGP paddock since Simon Crafar.
Career statistics
Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Pos | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | POR 22 | POR 20 | JER 22 | JER 18 | MUG 23 | MUG 18 | SAC 17 | SAC 16 | RBR Ret | RBR 20 | RBR 21 | RBR 20 | ARA 20 | ARA 19 | 26th | 0 |
| 2022 | POR | POR | JER 12 | JER 20 | MUG Ret | MUG 11 | SAC 11 | SAC Ret | RBR Ret | RBR 13 | ARA 16 | ARA 12 | VAL 9 | VAL 10 | 17th | 34 |
| 2023 | POR 14 | POR Ret | JER 15 | JER 14 | LMS 8 | LMS 5 | MUG Ret | MUG Ret | ASS Ret | ASS 9 | RBR 6 | RBR Ret | MIS 7 | MIS 7 | 13th | 59 |
European Talent Cup
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
FIM JuniorGP World Championship
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Moto | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Pos | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | KTM | EST | VAL | VAL | CAT | CAT | JER | JER | POR 19 | RSM 21 | ARA 9 | VAL 11 | VAL 17 | 24th | 12 |
| 2023 | KTM | EST 13 | VAL 7 | VAL Ret | JER 5 | JER 4 | POR Ret | POR 7 | CAT 17 | CAT 11 | ARA 20 | VAL Ret | VAL 20 | 14th | 50 |
| 2024 | KTM | RSM Ret | RSM 3 | EST 3 | CAT 5 | CAT 5 | POR 5 | POR Ret | JER 9 | JER 10 | ARA 6 | EST 2 | EST 7 | 6th | 116 |
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
By season
| Season | Class | Motorcycle | Team | Race | Win | Podium | Pole | FLap | Pts | Plcd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Moto3 | KTM | Denssi Racing – Boé | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 20th |
| 2026 | Moto3 | KTM | Code Motorsports | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0* | 27th* |
| Total | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 |
By class
| Class | Seasons | 1st GP | 1st pod | 1st win | Race | Win | Podiums | Pole | FLap | Pts | WChmp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moto3 | 2025–present | 2025 Thailand | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 0 | ||
| Total | 2025–present | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Class | Bike | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | Pos | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Moto3 | KTM | THA 15 | ARG 14 | AME 10 | QAT Ret | SPA 19 | FRA 14 | GBR 14 | ARA 10 | ITA 15 | NED Ret | GER 9 | CZE DNS | AUT Ret | HUN Ret | CAT Ret | RSM 17 | JPN 16 | INA 16 | AUS 11 | MAL Ret | POR 20 | VAL 24 | 20th | 32 |
| 2026 | Moto3 | KTM | THA Ret | BRA 18 | USA 19 | SPA | FRA | CAT | ITA | HUN | CZE | NED | GER | GBR | ARA | RSM | AUT | JPN | INA | AUS | MAL | QAT | POR | VAL | 27th* | 0* |
* Season still in progress.
External links
- at MotoGP.com