Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Mandalika Circuit in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, which is expected to be completed by 2022, has the potential to become a new favorite in the international racing world, an expert has said.
Dorna Sports has designated the circuit as one of the venues for MotoGP.
"Once it is done, this circuit will be gorgeous and the track is flowing. This fast circuit will be the new favorite in the international racing world," automotive experts Arief Kurniawan told ANTARA last Thursday (July 22, 2021).
Mandalika's developer, the Indonesian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), is targeting to complete the 4.3-km circuit with 17 corners to meet the specifications and pass the homologation test of the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM).
The Mandalika Grand Prix Association, the circuit's promotor and operator, noted that as of mid-July this year, construction work on the circuit was 81.42 percent complete. Meanwhile, work on the run-off gravel, run-off grass, north tunnel and retaining wall, outer and inner service road, and concrete barrier installation was more than 95 percent complete.
Speaking on the construction progress, Kurniawan said the circuit has not been able to fulfill FIM's requirement since the paddock has not been built.
"Even though we have not passed the homologation qualification, Mandalika Circuit has been chosen as part of the World Superbike (WSBK) (venues) to host the championship on November 14 this year, while the plan to host MotoGP had to be postponed to March next year," Kurniawan added.
Work on the circuit's asphalt and track lane is expected to be finished by the end of July, 2021 before FIM's representatives inspect it for homologation, at least three months before the event, to determine the circuit's eligibility as the venue for the world racing championship, he said.
To meet FIM's requirements, the asphalt, run-off, pitstop, paddock building, health facility, helipad, need to be completed and a hospital provided in the surrounding area, he added.
Once completed, the Mandalika Circuit will compete with other circuits such as Sepang, Malaysia and Chang, Thailand, which are well-known as MotoGP venues, Kurniawan said.
"Because the Mandalika circuit has a unique selling point. It is located in a special economic zone, surrounded by beautiful beach. We will also polish to make the circuit more accessible in the next four years," he remarked.
Surrounded by panoramic hills and the beaches of south Lombok island, the Mandalika Circuit is the only street circuit made part of the MotoGP agenda, he added.
Forty garages have been made available to shelter under the circuit's paddock, and the main tribune has been prepared to accommodate 50 thousand seats, while the standing tribune will be able to hold 138 thousand people, Kurniawan informed. The circuit will also house hospitality suites for 7,700 people, he added.
The paddock, main tribune, standing tribune, and hospitality suites are not permanent and can be dismantled, including the circuit track that can function as a normal roadway when there is no racing schedule, he said.
