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 POR22 POR20 JER22 JER18 MUG23 MUG18 SAC17 SAC16 RBRRet RBR20 RBR21 RBR20 ARA20 ARA19 26th 0 2022 POR POR JER12 JER20 MUGRet MUG11 SAC11 SACRet RBRRet RBR13 ARA16 ARA12 VAL9 VAL10 17th 34 2023 POR14 PORRet JER15 JER14 LMS8 LMS5 MUGRet MUGRet ASSRet ASS9 RBR6 RBRRet MIS7 MIS7 13th 59
European Talent Cup
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Pos Pts 2022 Honda EST EST VAL VAL CAT JER JER POR ARA ARA VAL 32nd 1
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 POR19 RSM21 ARA9 VAL11 VAL17 24th 12 2023 KTM EST13 VAL7 VALRet JER5 JER4 PORRet POR7 CAT17 CAT11 ARA20 VALRet VAL20 14th 50 2024 KTM RSMRet RSM3 EST3 CAT5 CAT5 POR5 PORRet JER9 JER10 ARA6 EST2 EST7 6th 116
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
By season Season Class Motorcycle Team Race Win Podium Pole FLap Pts Plcd Moto3 KTM Denssi Racing – Boé 21 0 0 0 0 32 20th Moto3 KTM Code Motorsports 13 0 0 0 0 5* 24th* Total 34 0 0 0 0 37
By class Class Seasons 1st GP 1st pod 1st win Race Win Podiums Pole FLap Pts WChmp Moto3 2025–present 2025 Thailand 34 0 0 0 0 37 0 Total 2025–present 34 0 0 0 0 37 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 Moto3 KTM THA ARG AME QAT SPA FRA GBR ARA ITA NED GER CZE AUT HUN CAT RSM JPN INA AUS MAL POR VAL 20th 32 Moto3 KTM THA BRA USA SPA FRA CAT ITA HUN CZE NED GER GBR ARA RSM AUT JPN INA AUS MAL QAT POR VAL 24th* 5* Season still in progress.
References
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