Indonesian street race for Motogp
Indonesia will become the latest addition to the Motogp calendar in 2021 with a new street circuit on the island of Lombok.
Although the race is not yet formally announced, it is understood that a delegation from series promoter Dorna visited Lombok last month and that the contract for the race venue has been awarded to Vinci Construction.
Vinci has been allotted 131 hectares of land surrounding Mandalika, a business area in the southern part of Lombok, and will also serve as the chief investor in the race, with the French company’s contribution expected to be in the region of €900million.
The track will feature an urban element, with Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta having previously suggested that the start/finish straight and paddock of what was then just a planned street race “in a warm city” could be integrated within an exhibition centre.
Motogp’s arrival in Indonesia confirms South-east Asia as its biggest growth market, with this year’s Thailand and Malaysia (above) races both attracting race day crowds in excess of 100,000.
Thailand’s Buriram circuit was the sole new venue in 2018, and next year’s schedule will comprise the same 19 races after plans for a Motogp race at Mexico’s Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez were abandoned.
Ezpeleta has promised to not allow the calendar to expand beyond 20 rounds for the next two years, with the underconstruction Kymi Ring in Finland – halfway between Helsinki and the Russian border – due to join the calendar in 2020.
“Until 2021, we will certainly not have more than 20 grands prix a year. From there, we’ll see,” Ezpeleta said recently. “We have many demands for circuits that want to hold a race. Those who have contracts will have them respected, but from there they will have to negotiate.” ORIOL PUIGDEMONT AND SCHERAZADE MULIA SARASWATI