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Pertamina named title sponsor of Indonesian Grand Prix
Oil and gas company Pertamina has secured the title sponsorship of the Grand Prix of Indonesia, ahead of the MotoGP motorcycle race to be staged on the island of Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara next month.
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A motorcyclist tests the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, on Nov. 8, 2021, ahead of the MotoGP race. (Courtesy of Pertamina)
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tate-owned oil and gas company Pertamina has secured the title sponsorship of the Grand Prix of Indonesia, ahead of the MotoGP motorcycle race to be staged in Mandalika on the island of Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, next month.
From 2022 until at least 2024, the official name of the event will be the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia, Dorna Sports announced on Wednesday. Dorna Sports is the commercial rights holder for the MotoGP.
Pertamina is also the main sponsor in the development of the Mandalika race circuit, which will bear the brand of one of Indonesia’s largest companies to become the Pertamina Mandalika Circuit until December. The circuit was developed by the state-owned Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC).
Pertamina president director Nicke Widyawati said that becoming the title sponsor carried out President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's orders to support the development of the five Super Priority Tourist Destinations, which includes Mandalika.
“After working together on the Pertamina Mandalika Circuit, we will complete the partnership by supporting the international event in Mandalika,” she said.
Dorna said in a statement that Pertamina also sponsored the Pertamina Mandalika SAG racing team in the Moto2 World Championship.
Authorities have been racing against time to ready infrastructure and accommodations for an event to be staged before the eyes of a world still struggling to contain the coronavirus pandemic, which has severely limited cross-border travel.
The government announced late last month that it was expediting the construction of new roads, lodgings and tourist facilities ahead of the racing event, which is scheduled to run from March 18 to 20.
Read also: Indonesia's prep for MotoGP in full swing
Some of the racers have touched down on the island, with test runs scheduled to take place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, according to the organizer. It will be the first time since 1997 for the MotoGP to be held in Indonesia.
“Indonesia is one of the most important markets for MotoGP, with an incredible amount of passion for motorcycle racing and motorcycles among the population of more than 270 million, and the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia is all but guaranteed to become one of the most vibrant on the MotoGP calendar,” the Dorna statement said.
Explaining the company’s reason for sponsoring the event, Pertamina corporate secretary Brahmantya Satyamurti Poerwadi said it “aligns with Pertamina’s products and services, opens up new opportunities in global-scale business developments and supports national economic growth.”
Marc Saurina, senior director of Global Partnerships at Dorna Sports, said: "As title sponsor of the new Mandalika venue and thereby a presence in the Moto2 World Championship already, Pertamina's commitment to motorcycle racing was already proven and this new agreement only serves to strengthen the relationship further".
