MotoGP in Sentul International Circuit way back in the ’90s.
It seems like motorcycles outnumber every other vehicle in Jakarta, so this will undoubtedly come as very exciting news to many Jakartans: The Sentul International Circuit in Bogor has a good chance of hosting the annual MotoGP Grand Prix, from 2017 until 2021.
There’s actually strong reason to believe this will really happen. Carmelo Ezpelata, CEO of Dorna Sports, the company that holds the rights to MotoGP, was actually in Jakarta yesterday.
“For us, it’s extraordinary to be here. We’re very proud to offer the MotoGp to several countries. We’ve agreed on a few aspects, but there are some needs that must be fulfilled regarding facilities,” Ezpelata said at a press conference in the Tourism Ministry yesterday evening, as quoted by Detik.
“We will make a deal until 2021 [from 2017], but there is a lot of work to be done in Indonesia. But we promise to cooperate with the [Tourism] Ministry to get them to become a part of MotoGP.”
Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said there are a few details that need to be ironed out.
“We’re not signing the contract today. But both parties want to make this happen in Indonesia. After that, it will be decided in an MoU within the next three months,” he said.
“Our preliminary prediction is that for the four days that a MotoGP event is held, there will be a cash flow of about Rp 1.4 trillion.”
Sentul actually hosted the MotoGP Grand Prix back in 1996 and 1997. It’ll be wonderful for the motorcycle-crazed people of Jakarta and the rest of Indonesia if the world’s top motorcycle competition made its long-awaited return to our country.
