MotoGP Boom in Indonesia: Renewal Secured, but Announcement Is Delayed

MotoGP has wrapped up the fifth consecutive edition of the Indonesian Grand Prix at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit with a record turnout. Attendance over the weekend reached 157,875, although there are legitimate doubts about the figures for the so-called “pre-weekend” days—Thursday and Friday—which came close to 50,000. In any case, more spectators turned out at the circuit on the southern coast of Lombok than in recent years, bolstering the prospect of the World Championship remaining at this venue for the long term.

Indonesia is, after all, one of the most important markets for manufacturers. 48% of the population owns a scooter or a small-displacement motorcycle, with 6.5 million units sold each year. The four Japanese giants account for 90% of the market, making Indonesia an essential destination for all manufacturers for purely commercial reasons.

For the past year, MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group and local authorities have been working to keep the Mandalika round on the calendar under the usual five-year contract, meaning through 2031 inclusive. The current contract expires this year, although Mandalika has already been included in the provisional 2027 calendar, with the event scheduled for the weekend of 29–31 October.

According to information obtained, MSEG and the Indonesian Government have already reached an agreement in principle. However, a number of bureaucratic steps still need to be completed before the deal can be ratified and the renewal announced. The remaining issues concern governance and the budgets of several national bodies: two ministries (Sports and Finance), BUMN (the umbrella organization for state-controlled enterprises) and ITDC (InJourney Tourism Development Corporation), the government-owned company that authorizes such investments. On paper, it is a formality: MotoGP and the key stakeholders cannot afford to skip Indonesia each year.

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