“What a unique project this will be, having an urban, world class circuit in a country where MotoGP has such a huge following. Indonesia is a key market for us with a considerable percentage of motorsport fans living here and the MotoGP atmosphere will be even stronger once the circuit is complete.” Carmelo Ezpeleta, Dorna MotoGP CEO
In 2021, Indonesia will host the prestigious motorcycle race Moto GP. This world-class motor racing event will be held on a new circuit in the Mandalika Special Economic Zone on the island of Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.
The competition location is in Lombok Island Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTB) Indonesia. It is 20 minutes by plane from Bali Island. The circuit will take place at Mandalika Beach, which will be used as the new Moto GP beach front circuit.
Lombok is a tourist’s haven located in the West Nusa Island province of Indonesia. It is a focal point of many investors, not in any small part due to its unique flora and fauna. With destinations like Lombok enjoying an influx of investments and economic growth, so too is Indonesia as a whole. Investments coming from local government sources and foreign investments are changing the landscape of the once sleepy island.
Lombok: A Hidden Gem
Lombok is emerging as one of the top investment destinations in Asia. Blessed with beautiful beaches, and clear blue waters perfect for surfing and diving, it is located near the famous islands of Bali and Komodo.With regular sunny days and temperatures not exceeding 33C and not dropping below 21C, tourists are flocking to Lombok as an alternative to Bali for its less crowded beaches, to dive in clear aquamarine oceans or surf its world-famous waves in this glorious untouched tropical paradise.
A US$3billion resort called the Mandalika Project is currently being developed in south Lombok in an area totalling approximately 1175 hectares and around 16km of pristine coastline. With the support of the government-backed Indonesian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), the project is one of the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia and is aimed at making Lombok a world-class tourism destination.
Host to A Mega Motorcycle Racing Event
Indonesia is set to host a world-class motorbike racing championship event once again – the MotoGP. It has been more than two decades since an event of this kind was held in Indonesia, however, the dream of the MotoGP is alive again after a deal was agreed with Dorna Sport’s MotoGP at the end of 2018. A track is now being developed on the island of Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara with construction beginning in October 2019 – a project managed by French construction company Vinci.
MotoGP: A Premier Motorsport Competition
MotoGP is a premier road racing championship tournament. It has its roots in Europe where it came into being after FIM (Federation Internationale de Motorcyclisme) imposed regulations for motorcycle racing for the first time in 1949.
The commercial rights now belong to Dorna Sports, with FIM acting as the governing body. There are four entities which make the Grand Prix commission comprising of International Road Racing Teams Association (IRTA) – who represent the teams; Motorcycle Sport Manufacturers Association (MSMA) – who represent the manufacturers; FIM and Dorna.
Racing events are categorized based on engine sizes and there are currently four racing classes in the championship which are Moto Grand Prix, Moto2 and Moto3 – utilizing four-stroke engines – and MotoE, which was introduced in 2019 and uses electric motors.
In the past, the classes facilitated motorcycles ranging from 50cc to 500cc. However, new regulations now permit the use of engines up to 1000cc.
The Grand Prix Championship is held annually with races being hosted in different, often exotic locations. Indonesia last hosted this mega event over two decades ago in 1996 and 1997.
The Indonesian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) signed an agreement with Dorna Sports, MotoGP organizers, for a slot in the 2021 MotoGP season. The deal outlines the hosting of the race and development of the circuit. The competition will be hosted within a designated special economic zone for tourism, Mandalika.
Besides the MotoGP, Mandalika is also speculated to host a round of the World Superbike Championship (WSBK) and a Motocross World Championship event.
Indonesia was recently hosting to major sporting events in the past two years – the Asian Games and Asian Para Games. It has also placed a formal bid to host the 2032 Summer Olympics. Cabinet Secretary Pramono Agung said: “What the government is doing with MotoGP and the Olympics is a vision toward becoming a great nation, a winning nation,” adding that the MotoGP would give exposure to the Mandalika resort in south Lombok.
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