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FIA refuses to certify track, A1 race delayed
In what can only be described as an embarrassing slap in the face to Indonesian racing fans, organizers of the A1 race in Jakarta have been forced to postpone the scheduled Feb
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In what can only be described as an embarrassing slap in the face to Indonesian racing fans, organizers of the A1 race in Jakarta have been forced to postpone the scheduled Feb. 6-8 event after failing to attain a circuit license from the FIA.
FIA circuit inspector Roland Bruyn Serende, who visited the venue on Jan. 8 and again on Friday, refused to issue the license as he deemed the construction of the Karawaci track in Tangerang incomplete.
The setback will postpone the race by at least nine months.
“Since the first visit two weeks ago, the FIA inspector had concluded that the circuit would not
be ready on time,” said George Benton, head of the local organizing committee.
“We asked him to give us another week to finish it [the track], but we failed to meet FIA standards,” Benton said Sunday.
FIA reportedly required the developers of the US$15 million Karawaci Circuit to have completed construction two weeks prior to the race day.
Benton blamed the heavy downpour of rain which struck Jakarta recently as the reason for the construction delays which led to the FIA refusing to issue the Grade 2 circuit license.
“We’re very disappointed and we apologize for the postponement, but we have to think positively for the November race,” Benton said, adding that the race date was now Nov. 6-8.
According to Irawan Sucahyono from the Indonesian Motorsports Association (IMI), FIA standards require both the track and circuit facilities to be ready at least 60 days prior to race day.
Despite the embarrassing failure to meet the deadline, the head of corporate communication for Lippo Karawaci Danang Kemayan Jati insisted they would still host a race on Feb. 8.
“We are going to launch the track as planned,” he said, claiming the delay did not change the terms of the five-year contract to host the series.
IMI will hold the 2009 GT Car National Championships as part of the trial races for the new Karawaci Circuit street track on Feb. 7-8 which will be open to the public.
