Buchanan ‘super happy' with second top-10 finish
There are plenty of positives for Cormac Buchanan after his latest Moto3 World Championship finish.
The Southland motorcycle racer clinched his second top-10 finish — just 1.7sec from the winner — yesterday to record his best performance of the season.
The undulating challenges of Spain's Motorland Aragon proved a happy hunting ground for the Kiwi teenager, confirming his evolution in the sport in partnership with the Denssi Boe Motorsports team.
"I'm really happy to finish in the front group and with the smart race I rode," Buchanan said.
"Obviously, a bit disappointing because there was a lot more potential than 10th there. But I guess to not be over the moon with 10th place just shows how much we've progressed.
"The weekend as a whole I was super happy with how we worked."
Securing his second top-10 finish in a race marked by high temperatures and the demanding degradation of the tyres, Buchanan managed each phase with intelligence.
Mid-race, when many began to struggle, Buchanan increased his pace, closing the distance with the head group until finally placing only 1.7sec from the Spanish winner, David Munoz.
Buchanan planned to ease into the race to not wear his tyres out early after watching others opening with gas.
" ... knew that would destroy the tyres before the end of the race".
His patience paid off.
"With about six laps to go, I saw that my tyres were good compared to the others around me so I knew that was my moment to go for it.
"I got to the front of the second group then just tried to do my own pace. I had been practising all weekend and was able to bridge quite a big gap to the lead group.
"I was in the front group with about four laps to go which was a pretty cool feeling to be there for the first time in the world championship.
"I made my way up to about sixth or seventh, but unfortunately a bit of contact bumped me back again. We could have fought for the podium so it was a bittersweet feeling."
Buchanan's performance was notable for his speed, racing at the same pace as the leaders and exceeding his classification time marked on Saturday.
He walked away feeling "very positive" about the weekend.
"We had a process that we wanted to work on which was focused on working alone without the slipstream or the reference to prepare for the race," he said.
"We were riding every single session, including the qualifying, thinking about yesterday's race and doing laps alone to make sure I improve and develop a good feeling by myself."
— Marc Marquez proved once again that he is the master of MotorLand as the Ducati rider won the Aragon Grand Prix from pole to extend his lead in the championship yesterday.
Marquez's brother, Alex, finished second for Gresini Racing while Marc's team-mate, Francesco Bagnaia, came third as Ducati bikes swept the podium.
Marc had completed the perfect weekend last year to win his first race in 1043 days at the same circuit, and he repeated his feat as the pole-sitter and sprint winner claimed a record-extending seventh MotoGP victory at the track.
Such was Marc's dominance he became the first rider in 10 years to lead every session — including warmups, practice and qualifying — since he did it himself at the German Grand Prix in 2015.
— APL/Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Herald
13 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Golf: Steven Alker leads major championship; Dame Lydia Ko, Ryan Fox climb leaderboards
Steven Alker has made a strong start in his bid for a 10th win on the PGA Tour Champions. The Kiwi sits in a three-way tie at the top of the leaderboard of the tour's third major championship of the year, the Kaulig Companies Championship, in Ohio. Alker backed
Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Otago Daily Times
Adventures to unfold on big screen
Some of the best adventure films from across the globe will be shown in Queenstown next week. The annual NZ Mountain Film Festival, now in its 23rd year, this year received a record 294 entries — the final lineup features 64 award-winning and finalist films, including 18 by Kiwi film-makers. Being held at the Queenstown Memorial Centre next Thursday and Friday, the films will also be available to watch online from July 1 to 31. The Thursday session here, from 7pm, starts with a 'social session' before a conversation with Beth Rodden, regarded as one of the greatest rock climbers of all time, who's recently published a memoir, A Light Through the Cracks, from 7.30pm. Four films will then be shown including Trango, directed by Leo Hoorn (US), the grand prize winner this year. The film follows a team of ski mountaineers, including previous NZ Mountain Film Fest guest speaker Christina Lustenberg, of the US, who skied the first descent of the Great Trango Glacier in Pakistan, after a two-year attempt. Navigating risk, grappling with grief and facing physical danger, the team pushes the limits of human experiences, facing the unimaginable together. Other films on Thursday night are Body of a Line (Henna Taylor, US), solo award winner Far Enough (Julien Carot, France), and Alone Across Gola (Jude Kriwald, UK), the best film on adventurous sports and lifestyle. Another seven films will screen during Friday's 'Pure NZ' session, between 3pm and 6pm. They include the community spirit award-winner, Spirit of the West (Pedro Pimentel), which is set against New Zealand's West Coast and captures the spirit of the Old Ghost Ultra, All In or Nothing, directed by Gordon Duff, which won the best documentary award, and follows young athlete Matthew Fairbrother who's up against 120 riders with full support crews as he attempts to win the overall title at the NZ MTB Rally, on his own, and Waiatoto (Josh Morgan and Jasper Gibson), winner of the Hiddleston/MacQueen Award for best NZ-made film. It tells the story of a traverse across the Southern Alps through packraft, skis and tramping. Starting at the Matukituki, Gibson, Nick Pascoe and Charlie Murray travelled via Tititea, the Volta Glacier and the Waiatoto to the Tasman Sea. "We didn't set out to make a film," Pascoe says, "the focus was on a creative adventure through an incredible corner of the country, simply for the sake of it." Rounding out this year's festival is Friday night's 'Snow Show', from 7pm, which includes best snow sports film Painting the Mountains (Pierre Cadot, France), set in El Chalten, a remote Patagonian village beneath Fitz Roy, where three French skiers arrive to pioneer new lines. Tickets to Thursday's session cost $30 ($5 youth discount) and $25 for each of Friday's sessions, with youth discounts. For more info, or to buy tickets, see
NZ Herald
2 days ago
- NZ Herald
America's Cup: Peter Burling joins Luna Rossa for 38th edition
Peter Burling's next move in the America's Cup arena has been confirmed. The three-time winning Kiwi helmsman will join Italian syndicate Luna Rossa for the 38th edition of the Cup in an unspecified role, expected to be an off-water position. It comes after Burling, 34, parted ways with
