In April 2021, Indonesia just finished developing a new international circuit located in the Mandalika region in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. Since then, this enormous circuit has hosted several world-class racing events including Asia Talent Cup, World Superbike ( WSBK ) , as well as MotoGP.
If you fancy watching those kinds of sports and have been planning to visit this circuit to see an event you like, it would be fun to get to know more about Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit first. Without further ado, here are 5 interesting facts you should know about the circuit.
 

1.  Located in one of 5 Super Priority Destinations

As the name implies, Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit is located in the Mandalika resort area in Lombok Island – West Nusa Tenggara, which has been declared as one of the 5 Super Priority destinations aside from Lake Toba in North Sumatra, Likupang in North Sulawesi, Borobudur in Central Java, and Labuan Bajo in Flores Island – East Nusa Tenggara.

It is without a doubt that Mandalika, as a destination, also has an exhilarating spectacle to witness. Picture the south coast view with white sand beaches and lush green hills as the background, the perfect image that comes into your head is exactly what you will get when you visit Mandalika. No wonder it was once surfer’s best-kept secret before it was then developed into a tourism area with fantastic eateries, family-friendly water parks, and luxury hotels and resorts.
Read Also: Going to Mandalika, Lombok Soon? We Recommend You To Stay At One Of These 7 Hotels!
If you’re planning to visit Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit, then it will be wise to stop by and enjoy the leisure offerings of Mandalika!
 

2.  Pit Building made of locally produced materials

According to the statement from the Director of Strategy and Communication of the Mandalika Gran Prix Association (MGPA) Happy Harinto, the construction of the Pit Building facility at the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit is made of locally produced materials, and involved the modular construction method of PT Wijaya Karya Building  (PT WIKA).

Built in 21 days, the Pit Building for this internationally-acclaimed circuit has also received recognition from the Indonesian Record Museum (MURI) for being the fastest construction of an international-level Pit Building with a modular system.
The 350-meter Pit Building with a capacity of 50 garages was built with a modular system consisting of three floors where the ground floor functions as garages used by teams and team technicians. Each garage has a width of 5.24 meters with a length of 18.34 meters and is built with a building area of 13,700 square meters. The second floor is the podium area, the tribune for the VVIP, and also Media Center viewers and on the third floor, there are many other supporting facilities.
 

3.  Implementing the Street Circuit concept

If you noticed, the name for the circuit is Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit, which means it implements the concept of a street circuit. What does it mean?

Technically, the term ‘street circuit’ refers to a larger racing function, which simply means that if there is no race, the circuit can also function as a tourist spot. Therefore, people can use the area around the track for refreshing activities, such as running, jogging, or just enjoying the surrounding view. However, the main tracks will still be prohibited from the general public and will get extensive security measures as well.
This means that if you’re going to Lombok for a casual holiday, you can still visit the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit to see the grandiose design of the circuit and stroll around when there is no race. Sounds fun, doesn’t it?
 

4.  Latest asphalt technology

To meet the requirements for a world-class racing competition like MotoGP, PT Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (PT ITDC) as part of the development for Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit uses Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) to polish the third layer of the road construction.

Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) is a cutting-edge mixture that is used to coat the upper surface of the asphalt. This mixture is claimed to be able to strengthen the structure of the trajectory surface layer with the principle of stone-by-stone contact.
According to the Construction Director of MGPA Dwianto Eko Winaryo, SMA has a high penetration grade (PG), which is PG 82. This kind of mixture has just been released in 2014-2015. Therefore not all circuits in the world use this mixture to layer their asphalt. Some circuits in the world that have used asphalt include Silverstone Circuit in the UK, Dubai Circuit in UAE, and Phillip Island Circuit in Australia.
 

5.  Incorporating unique Tenun motives

As an international standard circuit, MGPA also incorporated a local accent on the surface of the track of Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit, namely the Subahnale which is a traditional weaving (Tenun) pattern originating from the Sasak Tribe in Lombok Island. The pattern can be found on the run-off area or the outer asphalt of the 15th and 16th corners of Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit.

The name might sound familiar to Muslims, and that is because Subahnale is the Sasak language for Subhanallah which means “Praise be to Allah.” The locals believed that the pattern was named after the habit of local women who keep reciting Subhanallah when they are weaving the cloth with that particular pattern.
Subahnale traditional clothes have a high level of complexity and are made manually by using traditional woven tools and threads from plants, such as betel lime, indigo leaves, tarum leaves, tree roots, bark, coconut fibs, and many others. The manufacturing process can consume a relatively long time, but the result is guaranteed to produce an exquisite piece of art.
Looking to see the magnificence of this international circuit with your own eyes? Plan a holiday to Mandalika now and check out many more wonders across Lombok. As always, we kindly remind you to learn about the international travel regulations to Indonesia and always comply with CHSE (Cleanliness, Health, Safety, and Environment Sustainability) protocols along the journey.
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Looking for more information about events in this iconic circuit? Visit this page to find out!
 

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