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MotoGP champion Marquez can’t wait for 2021 Indonesia race in Mandalika
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MotoGP racer Marc Marquez poses on his motorcycle during the launch of MotoGP Repsol Honda in Jakarta on Feb. 4. (Antara/Aditya Pradana Putra)
M
otoGP world champion Marc Marquez and his Repsol Honda Team warmly welcomed Indonesia’s plan to host one of MotoGP's series next year, which is to be held on the newly built Mandalika street circuit in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara.
In a promotional visit for his Repsol Honda Team to Indonesia on Tuesday, Marquez expressed his excitement about Indonesia hosting the MotoGP race.
“Now we have Malaysia and Thailand, then Indonesia. We have come here many times and this is not the first time we have made a presentation in Indonesia,” Marquez said, as quoted by kompas.com.
Marquez added that he and his team members had a lot of fans in Indonesia, so he was glad to have the chance to race in Mandalika as he knew the racing community in the country had been waiting for quite some time.
Repsol Honda Team manager Alberto Puig admitted he was also excited to see the Mandalika circuit, which he said he believed would be a fun place to race.
“From what I hear, this circuit will have some fun facilities. This will be an exciting race series in Indonesia,” Puig said.
MotoGP management has uploaded a short video on its official social media account, showing a 3D illustration of the Mandalika street circuit with coastal views.
Michael “Mick” Doohan, the GP500 era MotoGP legend, has stated that the Mandalika circuit would stand out from other circuits because in terms of design and layout, the circuit had a more modern run-off.
The Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), which manages the Mandalika circuit, has stated that all preparations in regards to quality and safety standards set by the International Motorcycling Federation will finish by year-end.
In accordance with the timeline, the road asphalting was begun in January and is expected to be finished by the end of this year, before the circuit is tested by riders prior to the race, the ITDC reported.
The ITDC also opened ticket reservations for the Mandalika MotoGP on Jan. 20. Approximately 4,000 of 10,000 tickets were sold in the first order period.
“The [Mandalika] MotoGP will be held for three days, which are the testing day, the qualifications and the finals, from Friday to Sunday,” ITDC corporate secretary Miranti Rendranti told Kompas recently. (syk)
