TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Beneath a boiling sun: MotoGP showdown in Mandalika, land of a princess
The motorcycle race brought a modern thrill to this timeless land and was scorching in every sense.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Italian rider Marco Bezzecchi of the Pertamina Enduro VR46 team crashes on Sept. 28, 2024, during the qualifying round of the MotoGP Indonesia 2024 at the Pertamina Mandalika Street Circuit on Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. (Antara/Ahmad Subaidi)
T
he people of Lombok tell the legend of the beautiful and kind-hearted Princess Mandalika, who was pursued by the princes of several neighboring kingdoms. These eager suitors flocked to the island, competing fiercely for her hand.
Fast-forward half a millennium to Sept. 29, when hundreds of thousands of people from around the globe gathered on the island in West Nusa Tenggara. They did not come to watch a royal contest, but the high-octane drama of the MotoGP Indonesia 2024, which took place at the Mandalika International Street Circuit in the Mandalika tourist district, both named after the legendary princess.
The motorcycle race brought a modern thrill to this timeless land and was scorching in every sense. With temperatures soaring to 34 degrees Celsius over the weekend of the event and track temperatures exceeding 60 degrees, the heat was as much an adversary as the riders.
After winning the sprint race on Sept. 28, two-time world champion Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia of the Ducati Lenovo team acknowledged it was not an easy race, as the temperatures were the highest ever encountered on this track.
Japanese rider Takaaki Nakagami echoed his sentiment, calling the Mandalika circuit “too hot”.
The intense heat even prompted French rider Fabio Quartararo to cool off in an unconventional way, plunging into a trash bin filled with cold water.
