Mandalika set for resurfacing ahead of MotoGP return

MotoGP preseason testing at Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit may have only just concluded but the work is far from over.

Last week’s three days on track in Indonesia allowed the MotoGP paddock to analyse and voice their opinions of the championship’s newest venue, and did they!

While the feedback regarding track safety in terms of run off areas and overall layout proved positive, despite building work still being undertaken for the inaugural race event, concerns were raised over track conditions. Namely a degrading surface proving more noticeable by Sunday’s conclusion and the treacherous conditions faced on Friday’s opener, requiring a red flag situation and major clean up operation.

2021 MotoGP Champion Fabio Quartararo was amongst the critics on Sunday evening, explaining “they need to resurface turn one because it’s a total disaster! From turn one to turn seven there is a lot of, lets say the tarmac is going away. In three days you can see the amount of ground that is coming lower and lower.”

Images on social media highlighted the damage the degradation was causing as riders flicked up rocks from the surface. “I’ve been behind Franco [Morbidelli] and I received an amount of small gravel on the neck and on the visor that was a lot, and I was only behind Franco!” Quartararo continued. “So imagine if you’re behind three, four, five riders during many laps.”

“The worst part is turn one and the last corner,” LCR Honda’s Alex Marquez agreed. “It’s like different tarmac. I was behind somebody, and it’s like unbelievable. It felt like it was a gun or something,” he explained indicating the marks left on his throat.

Friday’s decision by race direction to use the riders to clean up track conditions after tropical