Meeting Jokowi, Marc Marquez And Other MotoGP Riders Not Wearing Masks

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has met with MotoGP riders who will compete at the Mandalika Circuit, West Nusa Tenggara today, Wednesday, March 16 at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta.

From the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube show, these racers arrived at the Merdeka Palace and met Jokowi at around 09.30 WIB. They appear to be wearing race suits and carrying helmets or headgear that will be used when paving the Mandalika Circuit.

However, they do not appear to be wearing masks. Meanwhile, President Jokowi and his staff, such as Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Erick Thohir, remain obedient to wearing masks.

After being greeted, the racers were then given the opportunity to each take a photo with President Jokowi. At that time, the president also took off his mask.

In the photo session, President Jokowi was seen carrying a helmet. He was seen wearing a red jacket with the words G20 produced by Rabbit and Wheels.

Each rider had the opportunity to take pictures, including the Repsol Honda Team racers.

After taking pictures, the group then went to the Merdeka Palace courtyard. There, President Jokowi showed his motorbike, the green Kawasaki W175, which he often used to ride around.

When taking pictures on his motorbike with the riders, Jokowi again took off his mask. However, he did not put his mask back on until the moment he took off the riders. Likewise, SOE Minister Erick Thohir who accompanied Jokowi did not appear to be wearing a mask.

For your information, there are 20 MotoGP riders participating in this activity. They include Marc Marquez, Joan Mir, Alex Rins, Francesco Bagnaia, Jack Miller, Maverick Vinales, Alex Marquez, to Takaaki. In addition to international riders, there are also two Indonesian racers, namely Moto3 rider Mario Aji and Idemitsu Asian Talent Cup racer Veda Ega Pratama.

Previously, Dorna Sport explained the presence of MotoGP racers in Jakarta before competing in Mandalika as a form of appreciation for the hard work of the Indonesian government in preparing MotoGP in Indonesia.

“And this is the first year of 10 years of cooperation. Therefore, out of our respect, the racers will meet with President Joko Widodo tomorrow. We also thank you for your time, Mr President," said Dorna Sports Chief Sporting Officer Carlos Ezpeleta.