New Zealand Moto3 rider Cormac Buchanan endured a gruelling and emotional weekend at the Malaysian Grand Prix, as the event was overshadowed by a frightening pre-race incident that left the entire paddock shaken.
Moments before Sunday’s race began at the Sepang International Circuit, a high-speed collision on the sighting lap between Noah Dettwiler (CIP Green Power) and newly crowned world champion Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) brought proceedings to an immediate stop.
Both riders were thrown from their machines and received treatment at the scene before being airlifted to a hospital in Kuala Lumpur.
Dettwiler, 20, was later confirmed to have suffered serious injuries, including damage to his spleen and lungs, and required multiple surgeries.
His team confirmed he remains in a stable but critical condition. Rueda, meanwhile, sustained a hand fracture but is alert and recovering.
The severity of the crash delayed the Moto3 race by nearly 2 hours and prompted officials to shorten the race to 10 laps due to time and safety considerations.
“It’s hard to put things like that into words,” Buchanan reflected after the race.
“Everything else seems irrelevant right now, as nothing compares to the battle Noah is facing. Like the entire MotoGP community, my thoughts are with both him and Jose and their families. Motorcycle racing is dangerous, and we know the risks, but you never want to see something like this happen.”
Before Sunday’s tragic events, Buchanan’s weekend had already taken a difficult turn. The 19-year-old Southlander suffered a crash in Q1, preventing him from setting a representative lap time and leaving him 24th on the grid for the race.
When racing finally got underway in scorching Sepang heat, Honda Team Asia’s Taiyo Furusato made the best launch from second on the grid to seize the lead into Turn 1, ahead of David Almansa and Maximo Quiles.
The front group of five quickly pulled clear, with Furusato setting the pace as the field strung out behind.
Buchanan, starting from the rear, struggled to find rhythm in the opening laps. His race came to a premature end on lap four, when a front-end slide at Turn 4, the same corner that had caught him out in qualifying, ended his day early.
It marked another DNF for the season and capped a frustrating campaign in Malaysia.
At the front, Furusato controlled proceedings throughout. Despite challenges from Adrian Fernandez and Guido Pini, the Japanese rider gradually extended his lead to over two seconds by the chequered flag.
Angel Piqueras charged late to finish second, while Fernandez completed the podium. Almansa, Yamanaka, Carpe, Quiles, Ogden, Brian Uriarte, and Valentin Perrone rounded out the top ten.
For Buchanan, the Malaysian round will be remembered as one of the most testing weekends of his 2025 campaign — both mentally and physically.
“It was probably the most difficult weekend of the year,” he admitted.
“Nothing seemed to click — I didn’t feel like my usual self on track and didn’t ride the way I know I can. My apologies to the team because this result isn’t reflective of what we’re capable of.”
The result was a stark contrast to his impressive 11th-place finish a week earlier at Phillip Island, where he had been among the standout performers in front of a passionate Australasian crowd.
“I was determined to carry that momentum into Malaysia, but it just wasn’t to be,” Buchanan said.
“This sport can be a rollercoaster sometimes. I’ve got a great team around me, and we’ll regroup, reset, and go again. Now it’s about finding that pace and confidence heading into Portugal.”
Buchanan will now return to Spain for preparations ahead of the Grand Prix of Portugal, taking place at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve from November 7–9, where he’ll look to bounce back from a challenging and emotional weekend in Malaysia.
Header Image: Cormac Racing
