Battling COVID-19 outbreaks and curbs over the past two years, the international event gives fresh air and hope, not only to Indonesia but also to the region as it begins to recover its economy.

The event takes place from Friday to Sunday at the newly built Mandalika International Circuit in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara – some two hours by plane from Jakarta. The Mandalika Special Economic Zone is one of 10 brand new tourist destinations Indonesia has been promoting to become “New Balis”. In fact, Lombok is in the vicinity of Bali.

Star riders for Sunday’s race touched down in the archipelago several days before the second stop of the 2022 season, offering entertaining bits as a fan service to the motorcycling-crazy nation.

A couple of days prior to Friday’s free practice session, the 20 riders, led by sixth-time world champion Marc Marquez of Spain, spent a promotional day in the capital.

The riders enjoyed a breakfast reception and close encounter with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo at the Presidential Palace, before parading by motorcycle around the city to greet their Indonesian fans.

Red-hot favorite Marquez hyped up local media with videos, photos and stories of him doing burnouts and wheelies, which created a buzz on social media. Meanwhile, President Jokowi was spotted showing off his customized motorcycle to the riders, besides chatting with them.

As entertaining as it may sound, setting up the world-class motorsport competition on the new track, within a developing tourism complex that is far away from the country’s automotive industry center, is a daredevil move.

Certainly, we put on a successful Asian Games, a large-scale multisport competition with athletes from at least 40 countries participating, back in 2018. Lest we forget, it was held in settled areas – the megalopolis Jakarta and the growing city of Palembang in South Sumatra.

But with holiday island Lombok, we are talking about challenges posed by its geographical landscape.

Logistics have become the focus of concern, with wide-ranging problems from basic accommodation, infrastructure, transportation, internet connection and tropical weather, to name a few. Adding to the list is a land dispute with locals that has remained unaddressed as well as environmental worries as the island is prone to natural disasters.

The weekend’s crowd-puller will be a testament to the country’s ability to organize a high-level international showcase, while handling the virus spread.

Indonesia reportedly has earned a 10-year contract from MotoGP’s promoter, Dorna Sports, to host a series in a season. Meanwhile as a title sponsor, state oil and gas firm Pertamina is committed to supporting the event until 2024. Enough time to fix the flaws and upgrade the organizing quality.

In the meantime, let’s just sit back, relax and enjoy the amazing race with a panoramic coastal view in the background.