Scavenging the Fragments of the Mandalika MotoGP Magnets

Hundreds of residents poured into the heart of Jakarta on Wednesday to watch the motoGP racers up close. They briefly left their daily activities for the sake of that rare moment.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

President Joko Widodo and MotoGP racers prepare to go to the start of the MotoGP racer parade in front of the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday (16/3/2022). The parade was held to welcome and enliven the MotoGP event which will be held at the Pertamina Mandalika Circuit, Lombok, 18-20 March 2022.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The echoes of the Indonesian MotoGP event, to be held at the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit in West Nusa Tenggara from 18 to 20 March, have spread to the capital city.

Hundreds of residents poured into the heart of Jakarta on Wednesday to watch the racers up close. They briefly left their daily activities for the sake of that rare moment.

Residents began to flock to the pedestrian lane around the Hotel Indonesia (HI) Traffic Circle in Central Jakarta at 10:00 a.m. They assembled on the side of the road, waiting for the opening parade of the MotoGP riders before they competed in Mandalika.

When the motorbikes roared from a distance, the residents who were previously sitting, suddenly stood up. Those who were standing on the side of the road approached its edge and took out their phones.

Cheers were heard when the riders appeared on their motorbikes. Repsol Honda team racer Marc Marquez was one of the drivers who were leading the procession. He waved his hand in response to the enthusiasm of the crowd.

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To watch the parade, Khairul, 39, chose not to look for passengers for half a day. Since morning, the taxi driver, who usually hung out in the Palmerah area, had been standing alongside Jl. MH Thamrin with two fellow drivers. They were still wearing their uniforms.

"Today, we haven’t served passengers from the morning. This parade is a special attraction because it is a rare moment, right?” he said.

Even though Valentino Rossi, Khairul's idol, retired at the end of last season, he was still enthusiastic about watching the other riders. He had been crazy about the world of motorcycle racing since he was at school, he said.

This parade is a special attraction because it is a rare moment, right?

He used to want to be a motorcycle racer even though he eventually became a taxi driver. Therefore, when he heard that Indonesia was re-entering the MotoGP race calendar, 25 years after the Sentul Circuit in 1997, he was very happy.

Khairul only had time to watch the racers pass by for a few seconds. He also couldn't observe the racers up close because he couldn't make his way through the crowd. However, there was no disappointment on his face. "We can see the helmets of the riders up close and we're already excited," he said with a laugh.

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

The MotoGP racers who were passing through Jalan MH Thamrin, Jakarta, greeted the residents who greeted them, Wednesday (16/3/2022).

The MotoGP magnet also attracted Afis, 21, who shook hands with Lenovo Ducati rider Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia. Like Khairul, Afis, who works in a car repair shop in Jakarta, also asked permission not to work to watch the parade.

He got the opportunity for the handshake when the riders entered the Kempinski Hotel at the end of the parade. Afis struggled with other residents until he was able to get to the closest point between the wall and the hotel courtyard. When Pecco passed, Afis stuck out his hand, and was greeted by Pecco.

"Fortunately, we were able to get a handshake with Pecco even though we had to jostle and get hit by someone's elbow. It was not a loss for me not to come to work today," he said happily.

The parade, which was initiated by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo from the State Palace, was attended by 16 MotoGP racers; two Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team riders competing in Moto2; and two young Indonesian racers, Mario Suryo Aji, 18, who competed in Moto3, and Veda Ega Pratama, 13, in the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup.

Before the parade, Marquez and his colleagues had a meeting with the President on the front porch of Merdeka Palace and took pictures in the credential room.

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The President was present with State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir and chairman of the People’s Consultative Assembly, Bambang Soesatyo, who is also the general chairman of the Indonesian Motorcycle Association (IMI). Also present were the director of Dorna, Carlos Ezpeleta, and the deputy director of the Mandalika Grand Prix Association, Cahyadi Wanda.

"I said earlier [to the riders] that Indonesia has 122 million motorcycles. So you have a lot of fans in Indonesia, all happy," said the President, recounting his brief chat with the racers.

Carlos Ezpeleta said the presence of MotoGP racers in Jakarta before competing in Mandalika, was a form of appreciation for the hard work of the Indonesian government in organizing MotoGP in Indonesia. "This is the first year of 10 years of cooperation. As a form of our respect, the racers met with President Joko Widodo," he was quoted as saying.

The sun was rising, and the residents were still gathered in front of the hotel where the racers were staying. Despite the hot weather, their thirst was quenched by the presence of their idol racers in the heart of the capital.

This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo.