Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Cormac Buchanan
70 Plays3 months ago
Join us for an exclusive conversation with rising motorsport star Cormac Buchanan as he shares his incredible journey from a rookie racer in 2019 to the World Championship in 2025
Discover how the Camino Coaching course transformed his mindset, unlocked his potential, and helped him achieve success on the track. Cormac opens up about the challenges of racing at an elite level, his strategies for maintaining focus, and what it takes to stand out in the world of motorsport.
Whether you’re a racer, a fan of the sport, or someone looking for inspiration to reach your own peak performance, this podcast is packed with actionable insights and motivating stories.
Don’t miss this inspiring episode of the Camino Coach Show Podcast! 🏆
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Guest Welcome
00:00:00
Speaker
Welcome to the Camino Coach Show. This season we want to bring you insights on peak performance and the mental skills that are needed to perform at your best on track and in business. My name is Craig Muirhead and I'm the founder of Camino Coaching and today we are joined by someone who is rewriting the history books, Cormac
Cormac's Racing Journey Beginnings
00:00:17
Speaker
Buchanan. At just 18, Cormac is New Zealand's first Moto 3 World Championship rider. And from his first ever race in 2019 to fighting at the front of Junior GP and stepping up to the World Championship, his journey is nothing short of inspiring. Today will unpack the mental strategies, physical preparation and life lessons that have driven his success.
00:00:40
Speaker
While you're watching please like and subscribe.
Entering the World Championship
00:00:43
Speaker
We want to bring you more fascinating chats this season and the more viewers and subscribers help us do just that. So enough from me, let's get on with it. Here is the inspirational Cormac Buchanan. So we're here today with Cormac Buchanan who is starting out his first season in the Motel 3 World Championship. So welcome Cormac. Thank you very much for having me.
00:01:05
Speaker
and You must be very excited. Eighteen, starting your first season in MotoGP paddock with Moto3? Yeah, I'm really looking
Passion and Early Racing Challenges
00:01:16
Speaker
forward to it. Looking forward to, I guess, all the new things that there is to find out and, and you know, the new level of competition, the new bike, the new tracks and countries that I get to go to as well. So yeah, it's it's kind of like you're just kind of waiting for the testing to start and you enjoy the testing is the first time you just you know see the bike and stuff but you also just want to go straight to the first race you know so yeah i'm counting down the days for sure. and So let's rewind a little bit Cormac and um how are the kids from in the Cargill in New Zealand fall in love with motorcycle racing.
00:01:51
Speaker
I've always loved racing. If it was a running race, cross country race, motocross, you know, MotoGP, whatever. I always loved just that whole, the whole racing atmosphere, you know, more so probably just the competitiveness of it and the competitive side of it. You know, always wanting to, I guess, finish first and be a winner. But as far as motorcycle racing goes, it all really just started at the Phillip Island Grand Prix in 2016.
00:02:16
Speaker
We were there on on a family holiday to Australia, and it just so happened to be the ah same dates for the MotoGP World Championship at Phillip Island, as well as the Speedway World Championship at Australia. And up until that point, my dream was to be a Speedway World Champion, because that was the sport that I was competing in. I wouldn't say seriously, but, you know, to it to ah to a really good level in New Zealand.
Impact of Kiwi Motorsport Legacy
00:02:40
Speaker
And I remember we went to the Speedway GP the night before Aussie and I was like, well, this is the coolest thing I've ever seen. You know, this is what I want to be doing and stuff. And Daddy said to me, you know, you think this is cool? You haven't seen anything yet until, you know, you go to Phillip Island because we're off to MotoGP tomorrow. and I didn't really understand what he meant. But when I went there, it's like, you know, when I raced for MotoGP, you know, that ever since that day, that was my dream. And yeah, every every day, almost, you know, that's all I've been thinking about to to get to that stage. Yeah.
00:03:11
Speaker
Yeah, fantastic. Fantastic. And can you remember your first race? Can you remember your first ever ah road race? Yeah, I do. It was Wakefield Park in 2019. It was the first round of the Oceania Junior Cup in Australia. So it wasn't even in New Zealand, which is a, I wouldn't say that's sad, but it's it's the way it was because I was too young to race in New Zealand because the rule was yet to be 13. And at the time I was 12 years old. So even then I was already quite a late starter in terms of the the whole road racing aspect.
00:03:41
Speaker
But yeah, I did a good race from, I think, 16th to 8th on the grid. And yeah, it was ah a good introduction to racing. Racing in Aussie, it was a, yeah, kind of thrown into the deep end at that time straight away. And, you know, I was racing there with guys that I still, you know, keep contact with nowadays, like Archie McDonald, all those guys, you know. So yeah, it was a ah cool introduction and a a cool start to my career, basically. yeah Super. And New Zealand has a rich motorsport history.
00:04:11
Speaker
Bruce McLaren, and Mike Halewood. How much has a Kiwi mentality played a part in your determination and racing performance? I think coming from New Zealand.
00:04:24
Speaker
It makes things a lot more difficult, but it also makes you know you feel a bit more, I guess, motivated.
Discipline and Sacrifice in Racing
00:04:32
Speaker
Knowing that I'm the only one over here makes me want to push even harder to be the first one to you know be a MotoGP world champion, which is my ultimate dream. you know So it it gives you that extra level of motivation. And us Kiwis, we're tough people. you know we're We're hard people. So it's yeah we we can't be short of motivation. We work hard and stuff like that.
00:04:52
Speaker
But in saying that, it also makes it really difficult having to come from the other side of the world. But, you know, it's been done in Formula One now with Liam Lawson and motocross with like Ben Townley and Josh Coppins and even Hugh Anderson back in the, you know, the the old era of MotoGP, I guess. And yeah, so it's not impossible, but yeah, certainly not easy, but I'm willing to make it happen.
00:05:13
Speaker
Well, you're making history by being the first you know New Zealand rider to break into Molotov 3 World Championship. So what would advice would you give to a young rider who's setting out and who's got the same aspirations?
00:05:30
Speaker
Yeah, I think the number one thing that you need is the discipline and the the dedication to it. You know, I remember daddy said to me when I first started that if you want to make it in the sport, you have to live in brief racing. And that's what I have to do. Every day has to be towards just that one goal. And that's the way they have to go about it.
00:05:49
Speaker
obviously when you're a kid it's quite difficult because you know when you're growing up you have you know all the parties with your friends and and stuff like that that you miss out on so it's been willing to sacrifice so much just to get you know even just a shot at your dream.
00:06:04
Speaker
And you also, you know, depends depending on where you come from, like if you're in Europe, where the tracks are, it's you know going out and riding as much as you can and and putting in the time and in the effort. But if you come from, you know, New Zealand or Australia or a far away country, it's about actually having to sacrifice your childhood. So I think you you almost need to know what you're in for. But, you know, if you're willing to sacrifice that, as long as you have hard work and and dedication to that, anything's possible. yeah So in 2021, you left New Zealand to come and race in Europe. What was the biggest culture shock for you, both on the bike and off it?
Racing Adventures in Europe
00:06:44
Speaker
I think on the bike, it would have just been the level of riding, the way that the guys were riding the bike and, you know, the leptimes they were doing at those races, were we we're going quicker than now. But at the time, it felt like, you know, they're going a million miles quicker than I was. So that was the biggest shock, just
00:07:01
Speaker
you know, you come from New Zealand where you're winning everything, you know, I just came off the back of my third New Zealand title in a row. So, you know, I wouldn't say I came in with a bit of an ego or a bit of a a cockiness, but you must do. So you actually had to learn how to lose. And that was probably the hardest bit at Ferris. But in terms of off the bike, it's it's more so just the fact that everywhere you go,
00:07:24
Speaker
As far as a racer, it's all set out to be a racer. You know, you have all the amazing roads for cycling and and stuff like that. You have all the car tracks, you know, motocross tracks, everything. It's about The whole point of being here in Spain is to be a better writer. And, you know, we don't have that in New Zealand where I come from, you know, so it was just that whole, you know, this is like a writer's paradise. You know, if you're living here, there's no way that you can't be good. You know, so it was. Yeah, I think the fact that just everything was so different and you kind of come in with an expectation of how things will be and what they will you know look like.
00:08:00
Speaker
but then as soon as you arrive you know that's chucked out the window because it's the complete opposite so yeah that that was the biggest thing but I think having my dad there to experience it with me was also probably the best thing for me you know it made it a bit more fair that I wasn't the only one that was getting that whole culture shock so yeah.
Comparing UK and Spanish Racing
00:08:16
Speaker
Funny story that I heard about um coming back from a racetrack in 2021 Red Bull Rookies and you were trying to get to the Eurotunnel. Were you were you doing the map reading that that evening? Yes, so it was a long weekend, okay. It was a long hot weekend in Satchurin. Europe was in the middle of a heatwave at the time and um pretty much it was like midnight at night. But I had to stay awake because I had to do the navigations for Dad. And I told Dad to take one exit. Turns out there was not an exit that he should have taken.
00:08:55
Speaker
And I think we went through two different countries that we didn't need to, to then get to the Eurotunnel. We got there in time, but I remember there was a lot of swearing going on and stuff like that. And yeah, it was cool because I got to see Belgium for the first time and the Netherlands. We weren't supposed to, but we did. And yeah, it was a, I mean, I just went fell back asleep and I woke up and dad's like, oh, we're in Belgium. like What are we doing here? And it's like, oh, well, you know that wrong turn that you took last night?
00:09:23
Speaker
Yeah, it's because of this. so That's why it's just easy to fly, you know, you don't have to worry about the driving, the the navigation and stuff like that. And yeah, I tell you, I never made that same mistake ever again, ever again. So yeah, you've had enough of road trips. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm sick of road trips. Like in 2023, my last year with Dad here,
00:09:45
Speaker
it was very hard because we had our van in Mercedes-Benz Vito and we drove everywhere. So like there was one part of the season where, so we did testing in Esteral for Junior GP.
00:09:58
Speaker
and then we had to go back to Heref for the Rookies Cup, we had to go back to Storill for the Junior GP, and we had to go to Le Mans for the Rookies Cup, and then we'd have to go back to Vint Lenzier for Junior GP, to Heref for a Junior GP test, then Heref for the Junior GP race, then Mijello, and then I think we had one week off, which was great, then to Asin, and then the weekend after that was Portimao, and you know, I think only I think it was only Aston we flew to, the rest of them we drove to. So, fun times. So lots lots of driving. It's not is not as glamorous as it as it as it seems. i can I can assure you that. You spent a year racing in the British Diamond Cup, the first year that you came, and obviously running Red Bull rookies alongside it.
00:10:46
Speaker
What was, looking back, how valuable or what was the difference between racing in the UK compared to racing in Spain? I think, obviously, apart from the the level, that's that's that's one of the biggest differences. You know, the guys in Europe, they're the best in the world. And in in the UK, the level was also quite good. It was quite high. But, I mean, for me, it was really good, the fact that, A, I had more track time, so I was never getting rusty.
00:11:13
Speaker
But also because, you know, where I was placing in the British Talent Cup was a lot higher than when I was and in in the Rookies Cup. So it almost kind of, even though it wasn't the same, it just keeps up, keeps your confidence up. You know, it doesn't, you know, you come off not scoring points in Rookies Cup to coming to British Talent Cup and you're fighting for podiums and wins. So it's like, you know, I actually know how to ride a bike because, yeah, it's pretty demoralising when you go to Rookies Cup and you get smokes like that.
00:11:40
Speaker
But, you know, the biggest thing for me was just that whole, you know, more track time. And the things that I learned from Rookies Cup, I could implement into the British Talent Cup so that when I went to Rookies Cup, you know, I'd be
Mental Preparation and Strategies
00:11:52
Speaker
better. OK, it still wasn't enough that first season, but it was, you know, every weekend I got better and better. And that's what the Rookies Cup staff want to see. So I think the biggest the biggest difference between Europe and in the UK is just the level.
00:12:06
Speaker
you know also the the facilities in the UK aren't the same you know you have to be apart from the car tracks like to to ride on a big track like Brands or Donington you have to be 16 years old in Spain you could probably be seven and they'll let you you know so it's just you don't have those same resources and stuff and I think we found that out pretty quickly like every time we're going back to Spain and people are like oh you know what is your plans for an experiment like oh we think we might do you know another year British Channeling Cup but You know, they're like, no, you need to be here in Spain because you have these resources and stuff. And yeah, after that first year in Spain, you you can see why they're so good. And also when it comes to racing, it's not just the physical aspects of racing. It's also the mental aspects. So do you have any techniques so sitting on the grid, anything that is your fail safe that you you stick to to be able to win the mental battle?
00:12:58
Speaker
I think for me, it's its having my process. um it' It's not like a checklist, but it almost is. It's, you know, I have my warm up and... I make sure I follow that because when you go onto the grid, you want to make sure that you're in the best place that you can possibly be. You know, it's not saying that, OK, if I miss one thing in my warm up, that my whole day is going to be ruined, you know, but it's still being consistent with it because, you know, for me, having consistency in my process makes me feel better when I'm going out on track. And the last thing you want when you go out on track is to be thinking about, oh I miss this. And, you know, maybe because I did that, this is going to happen now and stuff like that.
00:13:34
Speaker
But you know it's it's crazy how much it's changed over the years. like That first year of Rookies Cup was not you know good a good year for me mentally, especially when you're getting beaten every weekend. It doesn't help. But you know it's it's more so you need to realise that things develop over time. And for me, that's my process. like My process even between 2024 to 2023 was completely different.
00:13:58
Speaker
You know, OK, they still felt just as good when I rocked up to the grid, but they work in in different aspects and different ways for me in a better way. Like, you know, even in the the last round of Junior GP last season, you know, I changed the way I felt on the grid and compared to the ultimate round. But yeah, I felt better at the last round. You know, it was, you know, it's it it's crazy how much it changes. And the thing is, you also, I think, need to be willing to try new things. You need to be willing to to almost experiment Because, you know, and going onto the grid with a closed mindset, thinking that this is the only way is is not how you need to go about it. You need to be, you know, ready to take in as much info as possible. Because, yeah, especially in Moto3, you know, it's a chess game on wheels. It's not like a, you know, it's not like you're just going out and riding a bike. There's lots of things to think about. So, yeah, for me, the most important thing is making sure that mentally I'm strong. And I think in a way that's actually more beneficial than than the physical side of things. Yeah.
00:14:57
Speaker
Yeah, for sure. And and that aspect of of you having an open mind and and the goal is always moving, isn't it? The goal changes every race, it changes every session. So if you've got a fixed setup and it hasn't adjusted to reality, then obviously your fixed setup isn't going to be very powerful for you.
00:15:18
Speaker
Yeah, exactly. I think it's also important to have goals for every session, you know, like before every weekend, you know, we we jump on a call and make sure that we have, you know, every session planned out, you know, like just the goals for that session. And OK, maybe sometimes you might fall short of that goal, but that doesn't mean that your whole weekend is going to be in raptures, you know.
00:15:38
Speaker
It's it's almost having something that you want to achieve because I found especially going into the last round of history with the junior GP championship. I'd already saw my world camp championship contract, so there was no pressure.
00:15:50
Speaker
But I wanted to have that pressure and have that big goal to make it almost mean something. You know, because when you have some a goal, it means that it's important to you, which means that it means that you want to fight for it really hard. You know, so it's yeah making sure that you actually know what you're fighting for and know what your purpose for that session is. yeah Yeah, no, it makes a difference for sure. It makes a difference. And Moto 3 is brutal, as you were just alluding to. So, you know, the bikes are virtually the same depending on which manufacturer you're with, you know, insane, you know, speeds and and slipstream and aerodynamics and and the like. What does a typical day-to-day week look like to you?
00:16:31
Speaker
for your preparation, your training, but go coming up to a race week or just every day, you know what what does it look like? Yeah. Well, for me, like, um, I've just come off the back of a 23 hour training week. So it's, it's a lot of, a lot of training, a lot of hard training. And I think every ride is different in their own aspect. For me, I find that training a lot with, with on the dirt, if that's motocross, flat track trials, riding, um, you know, for me, I find that's what works best because even though it's not the same discipline, it actually, you know, has similar aspects to it that can help.
00:17:06
Speaker
And I also find like when I train on the road, if I'm not on the bike that I'm actually racing, your mind, it wants to adapt to a different style. So then when you actually jump back on your race bike, you've got to read that all over again. But as far as like I'd say going into a race week, it's a different type of preparation to just a normal training week.
Career Highlights and Growth
00:17:25
Speaker
obviously we know what track we're racing in so it's looking at lots of old races from that track you know making sure that i know where have what gear i have to be in for each corner and you know how i need to ride the bike because it's almost you want to paint a picture off the track in your mind before you rock up there The worst thing I think that you can do is you go out for FP1 on Friday, not knowing, you know, your gears or anything like that. And that means that you've just wasted that first session trying to figure out those things. If you really, you know, go to sleep that night thinking about, right, I know exactly what gear I need to be in here. When you go out on track, it's almost like you've already done 100 laps.
00:17:59
Speaker
So you're already mentally ready. So I think for me that whole mental preparation for a race weekend is is really important and it certainly will be um in Moto 3 with 22 different tracks that I have to learn. But yeah, that that preparation is making sure that you're rocking up on the grid thinking that you're you know the fittest guy that you can be and also the mentally strongest guy that you can be and more so ready for any challenge that gets thrown at your way. yeah Looking at those 22 rounds coming up this season, what's the number one track you're looking forward to riding on? There's nine tracks that I haven't ridden on. So I'd say out of those nine, Brino's probably the one that I've always wanted to ride.
00:18:39
Speaker
I'm also hungry, the new one. I think it's Belleth and Park or how you pronounce it. It's also kind of special because the actual qualifying is on my birthday. So it's the first time I ever get a ride on my birthday day but for me it's it's more so those tracks that I haven't ridden before that I'm most looking forward to.
00:18:55
Speaker
more so the fact that it's a different challenge and it's something that I just love learning new tracks. If you ride the same track over and over again, it's going to get boring. Not saying that Portimao is ever going to be boring to me, but you know it's it's nice to to try new things and stuff like that. And yeah, just the whole fact that it's ah you know it's a new experience for me that I have to to learn.
00:19:16
Speaker
But then, you know, going to Aragon is always a good time. I always love it there. So, you know, those tracks, Aragon, Port-A-Mouth, you know, the the the real amphitheaters in European motorcycle racing, yeah those ones are pretty sick. So what has been the highest point of your racing career so far?
00:19:35
Speaker
I think the highest point of my racing career so far would have been the end of last year, the end of the 2024 season in Esterill, finishing the year with a P2 in the race and then fifth in the championship was, you know, it was the but the best season I had, the most consistent season. Okay. It wasn't perfect. I had a few, you know, little X's that were on my on my checklist, but I think for me, it was, you know, the fact that it was nice just to put a and good season together.
00:20:05
Speaker
I'm not someone that believes in luck, but, you know, people say that I had a lot of bad luck previous years. So it was also good to have a season where, you know, things were going my way, but I could just actually show what I could do. You know, yeah you always sometimes feel like the world's against you a bit in the sport. And so to have a year where, you know, things were going right, like I got my first pole position, you know, I got three podiums that season, fighting for race wins, you know, all of that stuff, it was you know, it was a point where you just feel like, you know, you're there now. And also, you know, getting a contract for the World Championship, that was my sole focus for last year. And so to achieve that, it was kind of like, right, this is the the highest level I've been in my career. And, you know, I know I've still got a long way to go. So I'm looking forward to making that next step. Yeah. Yeah, fabulous. And so what would you say has been the most challenging? And how did you deal with the most challenging aspects?
00:21:01
Speaker
I'd say the most challenging year of my seat of of my career would have been 2021, the first year in in Europe, not so much in the British Talent Cup. That was a really good season for me, um but more so the Rookies Cup. It was yeah a season that just completely opened my eyes. And to be to be blunt, it was a pretty full year and in terms of results and that aspect. you know The only guy that didn't score points in the whole championship was not embarrassing, but it certainly wasn't good for the self-confidence.
00:21:31
Speaker
But the way I overcame that was, you know, Danny Rabauta, the rider coach in Gustal, they showed a lot of belief. And so, you know, it makes you think, well, if they believe in me and they, you know, actually giving me another year, even though I didn't score a single point, they must see something. So it makes you want to find that little something that they saw. And, you know, when I came back home to New Zealand, I had one focus and that was just to improve and, you know, be a better athlete. You know, 2021, there was not that discipline. There was not that, you know, hard work. There was a sacrifice because I was there with just my dad.
00:22:04
Speaker
But the but actual race and mentality was not there. So I knew that, you know, if I really wanted to make it in the sport, a lot of things had to change. And that's what I made sure I did for the next season. And, you know, I remember we rocked up to the first test and a lot of people, they thought that it was just going to be another, you know, 2021 season. I remember that we finished the first day in sixth, sixth overall. And it was like, yeah, you know, it shows just how much heartbreak and get you.
00:22:31
Speaker
and it's kind of just been like enough trajectory from there. Don't get me wrong, the trajectory is not always like this, you'll go like this, but it's always making sure that you can, you know, bring it back up. And yeah, that was the biggest thing for me, just making sure that, I mean, when you come off a year like 2021 with no points, anything like even just scoring one point is an improvement.
00:22:51
Speaker
But it was making sure that, okay, this session I finished 18th, right? The next one I want to finish better than 18th. Okay, this race I finished 11th, right? I want to be in the top 10, the next race, you know? It's just finding those little things that make you want to improve because they it's it's like those goals. They give you something that you want to fight for. And when you have something to fight for, you're going to ride better because, you know, you yeah have a purpose and a meaning for it. Yeah.
00:23:14
Speaker
Yeah, definitely. And you've got to create your own version of success, haven't you? It's fine, the guys that get on the podium and have that sort of and outward view that everyone knows that that's a successful result, but you've got to create your own version of success. Exactly. And it will have a similar challenge this year, where we're going moving up. and But you you've spent every season, if I'm right,
00:23:38
Speaker
in a new championship. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah, like every year has been a different scenario for me. Like, okay, I did three years in the Rookies Cup. But you know, 2021, I did Rookies Cup and British Talent Cup. 2022, I did Rookies Cup and then European Talent Cup. 2023, I did Rookies Cup and Junior GP. And then 2024, I just did Soul Junior GP, you know.
00:24:01
Speaker
and Even in New Zealand, I did 150s and 300s, and I did 300s, so only that, and then I did 300s and 600s, and I did just 600s. Unfortunately, this year, we couldn't make the super bike happen, but you know in a few years' time, it might come come to a veil, but yeah, it's it's crazy because yeah people, they look at us, well, they look at the European riders or the riders in World Championship, and they say,
00:24:27
Speaker
I've been racing since they were four years
Learning from Competitors
00:24:29
Speaker
old. I've been riding bikes since I was four years old, but in a different discipline, you know? So it's a completely different, I guess, scenario. My first race was five years ago, you know? it's And five years, you go from your first ever race and then to World Championship, you know? it It means that, I guess, my rate of improvement's a lot faster than what it should have been.
00:24:51
Speaker
And that's meant that you've only had to spend one, maybe two years in a championship. I was very lucky with Rookies Cup because they gave me the full three years. But it also has meant that we've had to kind of you know go from one bike to the other bike. But when your rate of improvement, or I guess when you have to change all these little things from bike to bike, it means that you're taking a lot more info, which makes you a more um makes you more of a sponge. It means that you're more susceptible to to taking information and it makes you well makes you a better rider. The more info you have, the smarter you are and the faster you can ride a bike.
00:25:24
Speaker
Absolutely. Yeah, that that adaptability and that flexibility is important. So you've raced against in in all of those different championships, you've raced against some some of the best young riders in the world. Who would you say has been your toughest competitor? The toughest competitor I've ever had. I've had lots of tough competitors. I wouldn't say like crazy rivals because you know we're only in the junior categories, but I think the The one that stands out the most to me was Colin, Colin Vier in the junior GP class. um We're a team mates in AGR that season and you know and he was going up to the World Championship that year. He was fighting for the Republican Cup title and I always looked up to him and I always wanted to beat him because he was my team mate. The one person you want to beat is your team mate.
00:26:11
Speaker
But he was just so fast and he was so, you know, good at like, you look at his data and it was so almost perfect that it gave you something that you wanted to aspire to be. And that made me a better writer. Like, I remember I started where I started my junior GPC season versus where I ended it up was two completely different places. But that's because I had a benchmark that I wanted to chase, you know? But as far as the toughest rider to beat,
00:26:38
Speaker
I'd say probably Picares in Junior GP that season. It was not like when you're racing with him, he was so fast that he just pulled away or anything because you could you could ride with him easy.
00:26:50
Speaker
But he was just one of those riders that could just an instant go from maybe eighth in the group to first. And that's where and it would be on the last lap, you know, but like Alonzo last season. And that made me you take notes from that and ah you you get a lot from that. You see, right, that's what they're doing. That's how they manage races that makes sure you want to do it. OK, obviously, I didn't it didn't end up in resulting in a win.
00:27:12
Speaker
But i definitely you know learn from that in the last part of the season last year you know i was able to manage the races a lot better like.
Focus and Avoiding Distractions
00:27:21
Speaker
It's true i was writing and you know second place in the group and i can even you know feel tired i just got so calm and it was like.
00:27:30
Speaker
if someone passed me, I could just go back there whenever I wanted to, you know, it's you're in such a like a good mode and a good mindset during the race. and And it's no wonder that they can then put that into a really good result, you know. So it's yeah, those two guys probably stand out the most for me. And also this column, you know, we we had ah we had a few a few tense moments, but you know, we're good friends now. But at the time when your teammates it makes for a nice little rivalry. yeah And obviously learning from other riders is key as well, isn't it? You know, for your own progress, if you've, ah you know, in a new championship on new tracks, learning from a faster rider and being that sponge that can take in that information is is is, accelerates your progress. And what would you say would be the one technical or strategic tweak that you made in 2024?
00:28:24
Speaker
that actually gave you that competitive edge. Because you've been riding in a championship in 2023, but 2024 was a step. I think the biggest thing was the way I approached myself and the way I approached riding. Okay, of course, I was riding the bike a lot better. There's obviously that, that's that's a given.
00:28:46
Speaker
But it was mentally going into every race weekend and it's going to sound really selfish, but not caring about anyone else. When I was the year before, I was always thinking I would be 12 from the championship and I'd be thinking, oh, my God, I'm fighting for a good place in the championship. You know, I was at one point could have finished third in the championship and I didn't even care about it. You know, I was solely focused on just doing my job.
00:29:10
Speaker
And like every, every weekend I go in and all I say is, you know, people they'd be like, Oh, you know, you want to fight for the wins this weekend and stuff. And I'll say, yeah, but I've got a job to do first. You know, it's always going into a race weekend, focusing just on my job and also not getting involved with like the silly games, the waiting and all of that sort of stuff. It's, you know, going out on track, trying to do it alone, you know, go out without a reference, trying to just focus on myself.
00:29:36
Speaker
because I found that when I focused on myself and those qualifying sub practices, you get to the race and you know you have your own reference and then the other riders around you are just mere obstacles. you know So it was, yeah, that was the biggest thing, just focusing on myself. you know I have teammates and stuff, but you know being a selfish racer, which you have to be in the sport, year you don't even care about them. you know You're just solely focused on yourself and your process and making sure that you get the best out for
Dreams of MotoGP Championship
00:30:05
Speaker
what's for you. yeah Good. Now you're moving up to Moto3, which is great, but Moto3 is the entry level to the MotoGP paddock. So it's ah an apprenticeship, I call it, basically. It's set an apprenticeship to show whether you can have a job in the MotoGP paddock. So long term, what's your vision for where you'll be five years from now? Ideally, I'll be a MotoGP world champion in five years. That'd be that'd be my ultimate dream.
00:30:37
Speaker
Of course, it's it's a ladder that you have to climb. And like people, they say it's a dream come true. You know, you're getting into World Championship and I say, no, you know, it's not even close. I say it's a step close to my dream because my dream isn't to be a Moto free rider or a Moto free world champion, not a Moto 2 rider or world champion, or not even a Moto GP rider. My goal is to be, my dream is to be a Moto GP world champion.
00:31:01
Speaker
So these little things in the states and i think when you think about it like that it helps you not get wrapped up in the fact that you are moving into the pinnacle of racing you know it it makes you.
00:31:13
Speaker
realize that you've still got a long way to go because if you have a feeling or a sense of you've made it now, it does not help you. It's actually going to probably hinder you. It's like you've made it now so your mind switches off and you know maybe that hunger, that drive isn't the same as as what it should be. Whereas if you're thinking I've still got a lot of work to do, you know you're not going to stop until you get to that that end goal and that's the way that I go about it.
00:31:36
Speaker
Your mum shared with me a piece of paper that you wrote and about the goals and the dream that you had. and Whereabouts are you on that piece of paper? So now I'm at step four. So I've ticked off a lot of boxes that that were very ambitious when I was writing them down.
00:31:56
Speaker
you know and When did you write it down? i was I would have been very young, maybe nine, possibly 10. It was before even all of this started. you know That was when it was just a dream. Everything was just a dream and in an ambition. you know There was no real no real, I guess, emphasis behind it. It was like, you know, I can search when the things he wants for Christmas, you know, I was just writing down what I wanted to achieve. But even looking back, it's it's crazy. It's almost like I knew how it had to look. You know, all of these things followed in an order. And that order is the exact same as how it's supposed to work. So I'm currently on step four. And I think I've still got a few more steps to go. But it's yeah, and a nice, a nice little checklist that I keep checking off there.
00:32:43
Speaker
Step one. Can you remember what step one was? Was it something to do with an academy in New Zealand? It was. It was to be selected for the Moto Academy. Do you remember the steps? Was it in the Oceania Junior or Rookies Cup, I think was called at the time, in Australia? It's selected for Red Bull Rookies was step two. Red Bull Rookies Cup, okay, yeah. And the selection is in Hereth.
00:33:07
Speaker
I think I remember ah as a kid playing the Ross, Valentina Rossi game. And there was this one team that I really liked was at the Australia Galicia team. I wanted to be on that team because that was my favorite looking team at the time. Yeah. So ah your step five is to join Moto2 with the Australia Galicia team. Yeah. You got very specific with your goals. That team is even in it anymore. No, no, it was MarkVDS. Yeah.
00:33:33
Speaker
So where step six is to race in MotoGP. And step seven is to be world champion in MotoGP and be the next. What have you been Valentino Rossi? yeah And is that still is that still the goal, the next Valentino Rossi? Yeah, exactly. Yeah, yeah and exactly right. Well, when we're looking at somebody that had to you know realize that his job wasn't finished and keep working, he's a good example of it. Yeah, exactly right. Exactly.
00:34:03
Speaker
Yeah, so so if you were talking to ah any young rider that's listening to this um and has a dream at nine or 10 years old and to to make it to the world stage, what's the most underrated skill that they should focus on developing to succeed in professional racing? I think there's all sorts of different skills that obviously have the ah driving skills and stuff like that. they They're crucial.
00:34:33
Speaker
But I think you need to look away at skills away from the track because they're quite neglected. They're quite, as you say, underrated.
Preparation and Alternative Careers
00:34:41
Speaker
I think the biggest thing for me is is having that process, having a having a ah skill that you can you know plan yourself out, you can visualize yourself doing your your racing, your checklist, your goal setting, that sort of stuff. I think that's a big skill to have. As well also,
00:35:00
Speaker
it's it's not i wouldn't I don't know if I'd consider it a skill, but it's almost a you know something that you just do. I think having that that skill of a dedication, having that drive, having that, you know okay, I want to do more than the next person next to me. you know I want to be putting in the most effort that I can.
00:35:19
Speaker
Because don't get me wrong, there's times where it does get hard. But if you can have that skill that you say it's still going to be worth it, that's that's crucial, for you know, because the difference between, you know, a writer that that is just there for fun, and a writer that there and it's going to be successful, is the writer that just wants to be there and have fun, he will give up when it gets hard, you know, the writer that wants to be there to be successful, he'll keep pushing no matter how hard it gets. So I think that is probably one of the biggest skills that you can have there.
00:35:47
Speaker
Yeah, that characteristic of of determination. And that resilience, I think, as well, isn't it? It's that resilience that you've got your true north that you're working towards. So a slight deviation isn't going to put you off the goal yeah and the and the direction, whereas if you're just doing it for fun, then you haven't really got that same direction that you're working towards. Exactly. and What's the one pre-race process that you would never skip?
00:36:17
Speaker
getting stretched, like stretched out. That's one thing that I can never not do. And I did it i one time, I did do it, I didn't do it once. And I genuinely felt like my legs were gonna fall off. It was not a mental thing, it's genuinely a physical thing that I must do. not ah It helps mentally knowing that my body's all prepared and ready to go. But it also just hurts if I don't do it. you know And I don't wanna feel that pain.
00:36:46
Speaker
But yeah, it's it's something that I think every person should do before they go out on the bike because racing is physically it's hard. It's not it's not an easy sport, you know, and just taking. Well, for me, I take about an hour. Other people, maybe it might be 15 minutes of waving your arms in random directions or whatever. But.
00:37:02
Speaker
For me, I always have to take the time out of out of that you know preparation to do that. And it makes me feel, makes you feel healthier, makes you feel better. And it also means that you can stick your leg out a bit more, going into braking and stuff like that. Do a bit more of a leg dangle. And if you weren't a motorcycle racer, what would you be doing? I'd be playing rugby, I reckon. Are you going to be playing rugby or, I mean,
00:37:33
Speaker
It's either that or I'd be a barista, a cafe owner. I love coffee. It's my favorite thing. Like I actually had my coffee glass here. But yeah, I'd say ah one of the things that, okay, it's not a crazy sacrifice, but one of the things that I had to stop doing because of racing was playing rugby. Because obviously rugby is a very high contact sport and very, a lot of risk involved. And I was playing that all as a kid, you know? And then probably just a barista because I love
Favorite Bikes and Feedback Humor
00:38:00
Speaker
coffee. so So what's the best bite you've ever ridden?
00:38:04
Speaker
Well, the best bike as of now would have been my AGR KTM. Hopefully, in the next two weeks, it will be my Bowie KTM. I've got no doubts about that. but I'd say that would be the the best s bike I've ridden to date. Also, I enjoyed a lot my 600 in New Zealand. It was just a bike that I just enjoyed riding. you know it was just you know I'm going out there and with a smile on my face every time. Even if it wasn't going to plan, it was still just fun.
00:38:33
Speaker
you know As well, I also think my first bike, the Honda Grom, that was something that I enjoyed a lot. I remember my first time riding it in an actual racetrack, I'd be going down the straight and I'd be trying to get the speedo up higher and higher each time, you know? I think the max I got out of it was like 115 and I thought I was going so fast, you know? But yeah, those those are the times that yeah but you don't forget and the the memories that you don't lose, yeah. And what is the dream bike that you're yet to ride?
00:39:03
Speaker
I'd say my MotoGP bike, whatever brand that's with for the next five years, um that's whatever bike that is a MotoGP bike for sure. you know and I like Superbikes, but MotoGP is where I want to be. you know So yeah, whatever bike that is in the future, as long as it's not electric like Moto E, I don't want to be riding one of those, but a MotoGP bike sounds good to me. So I heard a story about you just passed your driving test.
00:39:31
Speaker
Oh, great. And you had a note from the person that took your test. What was the note saying? It was saying that I wasn't, it was like, I was, what's it, too hesitant in the car and I was driving too slow, which is really embarrassing considering I'm a world championship motorcycle racer. And like, I said to mum when I got it, I said to her like, I could have drove like how I would drive if I was on a racetrack, but then I probably in prison and I wouldn't be able to race motorbikes. So it's like.
00:40:00
Speaker
you know, I was so worried and so nervous about getting failed that I just rode like a, like a, you know, I was like a scaredy cat.
Following Cormac's Journey
00:40:10
Speaker
Okay, so this season, we've got an exciting season in Moto3 World Championship. How will people follow you? How will people keep updated with what is going on? What's your sole choice for them to follow you with?
00:40:22
Speaker
Yeah. So all my socials are just called Mac Racing. That's on Facebook and Instagram. That's usually where I do majority of the, of the social media stuff. Do lots of posts and not just on the race weekends, but training and a little bit behind the scenes, which is pretty cool to see and stuff like that. And yeah, you can, you can kind of see what it's like being a motor free world championship rider, the life of it. So yeah, no, I make sure you guys follow me on there for for all the updates and stuff like that. And yeah, I always like doing long, long race free reports and stuff like that for you guys to see. So.
00:40:52
Speaker
Super. Well, have a fantastic season and thanks for joining us today. No, thank you guys very much. It was a pleasure. We hope you enjoyed the podcast with Cormac. And before you go, we do have something pretty special for you. Imagine your brand speeding around the world on the front of a Moto 3 race bike, seen by millions of fans trackside and on TV. You're not just a spectator, you're part of the action, part of the thrill. This is your chance to be full throttle with Cormac.
00:41:21
Speaker
Cormac will be racing in 22 rounds across 18 countries, representing New Zealand and capturing the hearts of motorsport fans worldwide. But here's the exciting part. You don't have to just cheer him on from the sidelines. You can have your logo displayed right on the front of his bike during a MotoGP round of your choice. That's right, your brand on one of the most exciting stages in MotoGP isn't just any racing series.
00:41:50
Speaker
Last year, over 2.8 million fans attended races in person, and every single round was broadcast to 100 million TV viewers globally. This is a sport with a passionate, engaged audience, exactly the kind of exposure that can elevate any brand. Here's what's included in the Full Throttle sponsorship package.
00:42:11
Speaker
Your logo applied by Cormac himself to the front of his Moto3 race bike. A custom promotional video shared on Cormac's social media. Social media tags throughout the race weekend to keep your brand in the spotlight. Cormac's personal knee slider from the race. Yours to keep as a piece of MotoGP history. An exclusive signed photo from the race.
00:42:33
Speaker
And get this, a 1 in 22 chance to win his customised LS2 carbon race helmet. Plus, you'll have the option to purchase exclusive paddock passes to get up close and personal with the with the action. But there's a catch, spots are limited and the grid is filling fast. If you want to see your brand speeding around an iconic MotoGP circuit, you need to act now.
00:42:56
Speaker
This isn't just a sponsorship, it's a statement. It's a chance to align your brand with the adrenaline, passion and global reach of MotoGP. It's about making your mark on the world stage, just like Cormac. So, are you ready to twist the throttle and join Cormac on this incredible journey? Email Mac, attack motorsport, gmail dot.com to secure your spot today and get your own slice of MotoGP history.