Erick Thohir Hopes MotoGP Mandalika Will Boost Motivation of Indonesian Racers

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - State-Owned Enterprises or SOE Minister Erick Thohir voiced hopes that the international racing event MotoGP slated to be held at Mandalika could motivate young Indonesians to be professional racers.

“This is a good event for the younger generation of Indonesia who previously dreamed of being street racers, now they can become real circuit racers,” said Erick after the launching of the event dubbed the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia, a collaboration between Pertamina and Dorna, in Jakarta, Wednesday.

Erick said the Mandalika circuit will also host other international events such as the Asia Talent Cup which is expected to involve young Indonesian racers. This, he opined, is also expected to reduce the high number of accidents due to illegal racing.

“We will think about how we will accommodate those young racers in events, such as in Mandalika, so they can also be part of the sports development of motor racing in Indonesia,” the minister said.

Erick observed that there are many young athletes competing in racing events categorized in classes below MotoGP, such as Moto2 and Moto3. However, he argued that was not enough, believing that Indonesia should have more athletes who are committed to focusing on the world of racing given the intense competition.

The sustainable development ecosystem, Erick Thohir went on, would become the next homework of the government, to bring young talents to their higher level.

Read: ESDM Ministry Ensures No Power Outage During MotoGP Mandalika

ANTARA