Anies Baswedan: Formula E Has No Handlers!

DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan (Photo: Diah Ayu/VOI)

JAKARTA - DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan emphasized that Formula E Jakarta will not use a handler to prevent rain from falling during the race.

"Formula E has no handlers," said Anies when met at the DKI Jakarta City Hall, Thursday, June 2.

Anies said his party, including the organizers and the Formula E committee, would coordinate with the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) to monitor weather developments.

"We from the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government always use science and data in our work," he said.

The former Minister of Education and Culture said that the electric car racing event was held without the need to modify the weather. After all, the racers also already know they will race in uncertain weather.

"When it is light we are grateful when it rains we are grateful. Everything is a blessing, we live at the equator, which is accustomed to light and wet," said Anies.

Previously, Event Director Formula E Operations (FEO) Gemma Roura Serra ensured that the Formula E race in Jakarta would be stopped if it was disturbed by bad weather.

The Formula E race in Jakarta will be held on the nearest 4 June. However, the race, which was held for the first time in history in Indonesia, did not escape the threat of bad weather.

"If it rains so hard that you can't see it, the race will stop. However, if it rains normally, it's not a problem," said Gemma at a press conference on Sunday, May 29 yesterday.

However, Chairman of the Formula E Executive Committee Ahmad Sahroni admitted that his party would prepare a rain handler to launch the implementation of Formula E in Ancol on June 4.

"We are looking for the top rain handler for the North Jakarta area. The handler is from within the country," said Sahroni when met at the Formula E circuit area, Ancol, North Jakarta, Thursday, May 19.

However, Sahroni admitted that he would not use the same rain handler as the Mandalika MotoGP, namely Rara Istiani Wulandari who was widely known by the public after the ritual action to ward off the rain at that time.

"(The rain handler) NTB and the handler in Ancol are different. If the (condition) is a bit heavy, we will fly Rara here. But, it doesn't feel (heavy)," he said.