The Mandalika MotoGP Bubble System Runs Tightly, Riders Only In Hotels, Circuits And Sports Places

A number of officers are at the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit Medical Center area ahead of the MotoGP pre-season test (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - ITDC President Director Abdulbar M. Mansoer emphasized that the Mandalika MotoGP bubble system, which was implemented to anticipate the spread of COVID-19, had been running strictly.

The "bubble" system limits the range of movement of the riders by only allowing them to be in hotels, circuits and sports venues.

Meanwhile, several MotoGP riders who had arrived at Mandalika for pre-season tests were seen doing activities outside the places specified in the "bubble" system.

Related to this, Abdulbar said that those who do activities outside the "bubble" are under strict supervision.

"So, if you saw them yesterday, they already have surveillance... They can only exercise, at hotels and at the circuit, and if anyone interacts, it's under our supervision," Abdulbar said in Jakarta, Wednesday.

"So there is a committee that supervises it, and we are very strict," he added.

One of the racers from France, Fabio Quartararo, was caught on camera visiting the cell phone counter in Kuta Mandalika, Central Lombok, Tuesday, February 8.

Meanwhile, the Aprilia team racer Alex Espargaro from his Instagram upload seemed to be traveling around Mandalika on a bicycle.

Abdulbar explained that the organizers from the beginning had coordinated with the COVID-19 task force, the Ministry of Health and also the BNPB to finally establish a "bubble" system.

The riders came from Malaysia -- after conducting a pre-season test at Sepang -- with two shuttle planes landing in Lombok.

"We are also trying to strengthen this bubble system by being accompanied for every 526 crew and racer trips," said Abdulbar.

"Including yesterday's direction from Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto as the chairman of the committee that every racer's journey anywhere is accompanied by one personnel from the BNBP and the committee."

Abdulbar also said that a PCR test had been carried out with an overall negative result.

"So we started from the negative ... lastly during WSBK we also managed not to become a new cluster, hopefully in the preseason test and in MotoGP later we can do the same standard so that there are no new cases again," said Abdulbar.