The 2025 Moto3 Grand Prix of Aragon delivered everything the lightweight class is famed for: chaotic lead changes, heart-stopping drama, and a photo finish for the win.
While the leaders traded blows up front, New Zealand’s Cormac Buchanan quietly delivered a composed and strategic ride, securing another Top 10 finish and further solidifying his growing confidence in the Moto3 class.
Buchanan, who continues to build momentum in his first full season of Moto3, qualified directly into Q2 and secured 13th on the grid after a composed effort at the flowing, high-speed MotorLand Aragón circuit.
Championship leader Jose Antonio Rueda started from pole, but the front of the field was soon thrown into disarray as the lead changed hands almost every lap in a race that had no time to breathe.
From the moment the lights went out, Buchanan made his presence known. He gained a position on the opening lap and quickly settled into the thick of the midfield battles.
The attrition started early; an opening-lap crash took out Stefano Nepa, and later, Jacob Roulstone retired with a mechanical issue while running in the top ten.
Buchanan dropped a few spots in the opening third of the 17-lap race but remained calm and focused, knowing tyre management would be crucial.
“We knew from the long runs in practice it would be a race of conservation and managing the tyres,” he explained.
“I took the first laps at a manageable pace… once I knew I had to go, I made my move.”
That move came in the final five laps. Having bided his time while chaos unfolded ahead, Buchanan began slicing through the field with lap times as fast, or faster, than the race leaders.
He picked off riders one by one, overtaking Ryusei Yamanaka, then Scott Ogden, before inheriting 10th after Taiyo Furusato ran wide late in the race. He even closed in on a fading Rueda, who dropped from race leader to ninth in a matter of laps as his tyres fell away.
Meanwhile, the front-runners put on a show for the ages. Maximo Quiles and David Muñoz swapped the lead repeatedly in the final laps, with Muñoz ultimately edging out Quiles in a drag race to the finish line by just 0.050 seconds.
Alvaro Carpe took third, while Buchanan came across the line in a career-best 10th, just 1.7 seconds off the win, a remarkable effort in one of Moto3’s most tightly contested races this year.
“Super happy with how I managed the race; reading the race and staying patient was key today, which we did a great job of,” Buchanan reflected post-race.
“It’s a little bittersweet with the last couple of laps not going to plan, but we can take the positives out of finishing in the front group for the first time, and I can take a lot of experience from battling with the world’s best.”
Now 15th in the Moto3 championship standings, Buchanan is clearly on the rise, improving his pace, racecraft, and composure with each outing.
As the field prepares for the high-speed corners of Mugello in Italy on June 20-22, the Kiwi will look to take another step forward and continue his charge through the pack.
“Of course, we still want more,” Buchanan added.
“We have to stay grounded and focused on the job so we can make the next step at Mugello.”
Header Image: Dast Media
I think Cormac Buchanan is racing smart.He’s showing increased speed with every race. If he keeps riding smartly I believe he’s heading for a top five placing before the season finishes. That would be remarkable in his first year as a moto3 racer. At times Cormac is showing pace as quick as the most experienced moto 3 riders . Keep it up ,and fly the flag for NZ .