Mandalika Circuit Repaving Targeted To Be Completed On March 8, Must Comply With Dorna And FIM Standards

The direct asphalting process of the Mandalika Circuit. (MGPA Private Doc.)

JAKARTA - The Mandalika Circuit will hold the 2022 MotoGP race on March 18-20. Currently, the circuit, which is located in Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), is being re-paved.

Deputy Minister of BUMN II Kartika Wirjoatmodjo said the re-paving of the Mandalika Circuit must be completed by March 8. He said the re-paving process has now reached 60 percent.

"We hope that on March 8, 2022, the re-paving will be completed and in accordance with the standards set by Dorna Sports and the FIM," said the Deputy Minister of BUMN at an online press conference in Jakarta, as reported by Antara, Sunday, March 6.

Kartika said that currently, his party is focusing on completing the final stages of completing the circuit. He said the progress of the grandstand had reached 80 percent, including a new building for VIP Deluxe.

On the same occasion, InJourney President Director Dony Oskaria said the target for the completion of the re-paving of the Mandalika Circuit was in accordance with the schedule that had been made. Currently, the process of repairing this circuit is directly supervised by the FIM and consultants.

"We hope that this process will be completed soon and ready to face MotoGP on March 18-20," said Dony.

Previously, around 17.5 percent of the Mandalika Circuit track would be re-paved following recommendations from Dorna Sport and the FIM. The proposal came after the riders underwent a MotoGP pre-season test there.

During the three days of testing at Mandalika, the MotoGP riders liked the layout and design of the 4.3km circuit, as well as the safety standards, including the runoff area, very wide gravel.

However, they also complained about the condition of the track being dirty, dusty, and even the number of small stones on the track.

Dorna Sports and the FIM identified two areas that needed improvement, namely the cleanliness of the track surface and the amount of aggregate, such as sand, dust, and gravel or crushed stone, on the track and recommended re-spapping some parts of the track before Turn 17 to after Turn 5.