Ahead Of The Indonesian MotoGP, Former Riders: The Mandalika Circuit Is Amazing, But There Are Weaknesses

Mandalika Circuit, the venue for the MotoGP race. (Doc. MotoGP official site)

JAKARTA - MotoGP racers will compete at the Mandalika Circuit, Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, March 18-20. Not only the race but the audience will also be presented with beautiful natural scenery during the Mandalika MotoGP.

Former Indonesian racer, Rachmat Alrasyid, admitted that the Mandalika Circuit, which is the venue for MotoGP in Indonesia, is an extraordinary circuit. However, according to him, there are drawbacks to this circuit.

Rachmat Alrasyid assessed that the Mandalika Circuit must immediately be equipped with a small circuit or karting. So this circuit is not only a venue for big events like MotoGP, but it can also be a place for coaching Indonesian riders.

"Mandalika is an extraordinary circuit. But I want to convey the drawback that there is no go-kart or karting circuit," said Alrasyid in a written statement, Sunday, March 13.

"Because what I know is that the circuits in the world are definitely one package, there are big and small circuits. This small circuit is used for ranking. That is if it leads to coaching so that there are Indonesian racers who can compete on the world stage," he added.

In addition to the small circuit, another aspect that must exist at the Mandalika Circuit is the racing academy. In addition, a vehicle that is appropriate for grading must also be prepared, for example, a MiniGP motorbike.

"It's not a moped like it is today. Because there are many differences, including from the position when driving. So from the start, riders must be familiar with motorsport," said the man who also owns a racing team, Alrasyid Indo Racing.

He hopes that with the return of MotoGP to Indonesia, the coaching of riders in the country can run better. According to him, the government should participate in this development.

"Besides that, we all must unite to advance Indonesian racing," he said.

Rachmat Alrasyid also said that the Mandalika Circuit is a valuable asset for Indonesia. Besides being able to increase tourism, the Mandalika MotoGP is also expected to bring changes to the Indonesian racing world.