Kiwi Moto3 rider Cormac Buchanan’s weekend at the historic TT Circuit Assen was a rollercoaster of promise, pace, and a gut-wrenching crash that brought his Dutch Grand Prix campaign to a premature end, just as he looked set for one of his best results of the 2025 season.
The 18-year-old Southlander showed grit and resilience throughout a weekend of extreme highs and painful lows, charging through the field in Sunday’s race before being taken out at 245kph in a terrifying incident on the final lap.
Miraculously, Buchanan escaped with only minor injuries, walking away from one of the fastest crashes of his career.
The weekend started with promise as Buchanan delivered a stunning P4 in Friday’s wet FP1 session, an effort that quickly gained global attention thanks to a spectacular save that has since gone viral, amassing over 7.7 million views on MotoGP’s social media platforms.
“The weekend started really well,” Buchanan reflected.
“We were extremely fast and comfortable in the wet, and I was happy with my riding as I gained more experience in these conditions.”
But as the Dutch skies cleared and the Assen circuit dried out, Buchanan’s progress hit a roadblock. Struggling to find pace on a drying track that demanded precision and cornering finesse, he missed out on a Q2 berth and was forced to settle for 22nd on the grid.
“In Q1, I didn’t do the best out lap and lost the reference, which in the windy conditions was costly,” Buchanan admitted.
“I was riding well, but key mistakes in certain corners meant I lost a lot of time in the straights. It left me 22nd, which was frustrating as I know I’m better than that. But I knew I could make a comeback on Sunday.”
Come race day, Buchanan made good on his promise. Under clear blue skies and with a track temperature of 35°C, prime conditions for Moto3 action, the Kiwi rocketed off the line, slicing through the field and climbing from 22nd to 17th within the first few corners.
By lap two, he had picked off British rider Scott Ogden and was continuing his charge. Even as tyre wear began to kick in, Buchanan kept pace with the lead groups, consistently lapping faster than he had all weekend and climbing as high as 15th.
Determined to bridge the two-second gap to the leading group, Buchanan was locked into an intense mid-pack battle and pushing hard until disaster struck.
On lap 13, while rounding Turn 15, the fastest corner of the Assen circuit, a rival attempted an overtake that went horribly wrong, clipping Buchanan’s front wheel and sending both riders flying into the gravel at 245kph.
“Unfortunately, at corner 15, the fastest place on the circuit, I had my front wheel swiped out from underneath me by a rider trying to overtake me, and crashed at 245km/h. For sure one of the fastest crashes of my career,” Buchanan said.
“I’m glad to walk away with only minor injuries, and that is full thanks to my protective gear from LS2, Macna and FuSport.
“It’s a real shame because the pace and potential were there for a decent finish. After a disappointing qualifying, we were making another great comeback. I felt quite strong even when the tyre started to drop a little, lapping faster than I have all weekend.”
Buchanan made no attempt to hide his disappointment, calling out the move that ended his race.
“Naturally, I’m quite upset as, in my opinion, this overtake wasn’t correct, and extremely unnecessary and dangerous. However, racing can go like this sometimes, with things out of our control happening.
“It was a missed chance to score some great points and possibly fight for the top ten at the end of the race, but we turn the page and put our focus on Germany in two weeks’ time. This will only make us stronger.”
Before the crash, Buchanan had looked poised to deliver a top-10 result despite starting deep in the pack. His determination, improvement throughout the weekend, and sheer pace in race conditions are all strong indicators of his growing maturity in the Moto3 paddock.
“Thank you to my team and their hard work. Even in the most difficult moments, we learn and grow together,” Buchanan added.
Race winner Jose Antonio Rueda took his sixth victory of the season in a chaotic race that ended under red flag conditions following a major last-lap incident involving multiple riders.
Among them was Luca Lunetta, who was sent to hospital for checks but was reported conscious, along with the others involved.
Despite the heartbreak, Buchanan leaves Assen with his head held high and with more fans than ever after his now-iconic wet-weather heroics.
The Kiwi returns to action at the Sachsenring for the German Grand Prix on July 11–13, aiming to turn his growing pace and determination into hard-earned championship points.
Header Image: Manu Tormo
