3 things you need to know
- Cormac Buchanan crashed out of the Moto3 race at Le Mans in treacherous wet conditions
- The Southlander showed strong pace throughout the weekend and secured a place in Q2
- Buchanan now heads to Barcelona feeling close to full fitness again
New Zealand Moto3 rider Cormac Buchanan has come away from the French Grand Prix frustrated by what could have been after crashing out of a chaotic wet-weather race at Le Mans.
The Southland teenager was one of 14 riders to crash during Sunday’s Moto3 race as treacherous conditions at the iconic Bugatti Circuit caught out more than half the field.
But despite the disappointing result, Buchanan believes the weekend marked another major step forward in his rookie Moto3 campaign.
Heavy rain arrived shortly before the race start, turning the notoriously slippery Le Mans surface into a survival test for the 26-rider field.
Buchanan felt the conditions presented a genuine opportunity for a breakthrough result.
“About 20 minutes before our race, it started pouring down,” Buchanan explained.
“In corner seven, a rider checked up, so I touched the throttle to avoid a collision, and in doing so, I lost the rear, and it spat me off.”
“I knew I was quick in the wet, I knew it was a really big opportunity to be on the podium. My initial focus was just to get through the first lap, but in corner seven, a rider checked up, so I touched the throttle to avoid a collision, and in doing so, I lost the rear, and it spat me off.”
While the crash ended his race early, Buchanan remained positive about the progress made throughout the weekend.
“It certainly isn’t what I wanted, and it feels like a missed opportunity for sure, but those things you can’t focus on,” he said.
“We had a really clean weekend, no mistakes, improved every session, rode really fast alone, and secured a place in Q2.
“My pace was super consistent, every lap within one or two tenths of a second of my best, which would have boded well in a dry race. So, the positives definitely outweigh that one moment.”
Strong qualifying performance
Buchanan looked competitive from the opening sessions at Le Mans, consistently finishing within a second of the fastest riders in the tightly-packed Moto3 field.
The Kiwi said the pace was a significant improvement compared to the previous round at Jerez.
“Overall, I’m really happy with the weekend,” he said.
“Right from the start on Friday, we were working in a good way, and I felt strong on the bike, just missing passing straight to Q2. Still, it was a big step from Jerez, where we were still lacking in one-lap pace.”
In qualifying, Buchanan once again chose to head out alone rather than chase slipstreams in a group — a strategy he believed gave him the best chance to maximise his own pace.
“I knew I could trust my instincts and go it alone,” he explained.
“I managed one of my best laps of the season to secure a place in Q2. I hadn’t felt that good on the bike since the crash in Brazil, so it was really special to feel like that — like I was getting back to where I was.”
“I managed one of my best laps of the season to secure a place in Q2. I hadn’t felt that good on the bike since the crash in Brazil, so it was really special to feel like that — like I was getting back to where I was.”
Buchanan eventually qualified 15th after narrowly missing out on a potential top-10 grid position.
“My best sectors were not all together, so that cost me a top-10 spot on the grid, but we were satisfied with P15 as it was another step forward.”
Focus shifts to Barcelona
There’s little time to dwell on the disappointment of Le Mans, with Buchanan immediately turning his attention to the next Moto3 round at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya — the home race for his CODE Motorsports team.
“We can’t dwell on this as it’s race week again immediately,” Buchanan said.
“My goal now for Barcelona is to continue this momentum we have worked so hard for. I don’t really have to change anything — I know that now — and physically I’m nearly back to where I was pre the Brazil crash.”
