Young Kiwi rider Cormac Buchanan delivered a gritty and determined performance at the Sachsenring Circuit, battling to a career-best ninth-place finish in a dramatic and unpredictable Moto3 race, marked by changing conditions, relentless front-running pace, and the challenges of a circuit notoriously difficult for overtaking.
After a brilliant qualifying session in the wet, his best yet in Moto3, Buchanan progressed from Q1 as the fastest rider and went on to secure P8 on the grid.
The Invercargill native was on course for a top-five starting spot before his flying laps in Q2 were deleted due to a yellow flag in Sector 3 following an incident, highlighting the fine margins of the sport.
As the lights went out on a mostly dry but still patchy track, Buchanan launched off the third row with a blistering start, leaping up five positions into third place in the opening corners.
He quickly sliced through the likes of Alvaro Carpe, Angel Piqueras, Guido Pini, and Maximo Quiles in an impressive opening salvo that saw him firmly entrenched in the podium battle.
At the front, it was David Muñoz who initially took control of the race, but by Lap 4, Quiles had surged into the lead, triggering a flurry of changes among the frontrunners.
Buchanan, meanwhile, found himself engaged in a dogfight for the top five, losing ground to Piqueras, Carpe, and Taiyo Furusato, who was flying up the order from 17th on the grid, and slipping to 9th by Lap 6.
As grip levels became an issue, Buchanan’s rapid early progress began to unravel. By Lap 11, he had dropped to 14th, unable to fend off a string of overtakes from Jacob Roulstone, Valentin Perrone, and Joel Kelso.
Still, the young Kiwi remained latched onto the lead group, refusing to let the race get away from him despite the setback.
Ahead of him, chaos was unfolding. Pole-sitter Scott Ogden had dropped out of contention, and a stunning ride from Ryusei Yamanaka saw the Japanese rider hit the front after starting 16th.
The lead changed hands multiple times as Rueda, Yamanaka, Muñoz and Quiles all took turns at the front in an exhilarating four-way scrap.
Buchanan began to rally in the second half of the race. With six laps remaining, he began to pick off rivals again, passing Roulstone and then diving past Pini to climb to 10th.
By then, he was just under a second off the race lead, with the top 10 covered by little more than a second, a testament to the relentless pace of the front group.
The final laps brought more drama. Yamanaka ran wide into the gravel at Turn 1, and almost simultaneously, Ogden crashed out, promoting Buchanan to 9th.
As Furusato crashed at the penultimate corner on the final lap while battling for a podium, Buchanan held his ground, crossing the line in ninth place.
Up front, Muñoz edged Rueda to take the win, with Quiles, Piqueras and Carpe completing the top five in a breathtaking finish.
For Buchanan, this result marks a significant milestone. In just his 11th Moto3 Grand Prix, he has claimed:
- His best-ever qualifying performance (P8),
- His best race result to date (P9),
- And his third top-10 finish of the season.
It was a race that showed resilience, speed, and maturity from the 18-year-old New Zealander, who bounced back from mid-race struggles to remain in touch with the lead group and bring home more valuable championship points.
With momentum building and confidence high, Cormac Buchanan is proving he belongs among the best in Moto3, and there’s surely more to come from the talented Kiwi as the season unfolds.
Moto3 heads to the Czech Republic next weekend (18–20 July) for Round 12 of the 2025 Championship, marking the start of the season’s second half. Buchanan will arrive sitting 19th in the standings as he continues his impressive debut campaign.
Header Image: Dast Media
Brilliant race result Cormac Buchanan,was so nice to see you in p3 for part of the race after starting p8. Good to see the progress your making from week to week. Cormac you can be proud of your moto3 rookie year. New Zealand is behind you all the way ,Can see a podium coming soon .Keep flying the Kiwi flag.