The Official MotoGP™ Mandalika Test is upon us and giving us a preview about what we can expect from the brand-new circuit is our trusty, former Grand Prix race winning Pitlane Reporter – Simon Crafar. It’s safe to say the Pertamina Mandalika Circuit should be an absolute blast, and here’s what Crafar thinks about the Lombok layout ahead of track action getting underway.
Simon Says:
- There’s only two hard braking points: Turn 1 and Turn 10.
- It’s a very flowing circuit, not a horsepower circuit. Although horsepower always helps, of course.
- The circuit boasts four or five big bravery, very fast, corner entries.
- There’s many corners that either force the rider to brake hard at big lean angles, or open the gas hard at big lean angles. This may result in some front-end crashes and will surely result in some spectacular on-throttle drifts.
- The circuit has big runoff and gravel traps, meaning it’s safe – always a positive!
- There’s some wicked fast changes of direction which I think is fantastic. It’s kind of like the Ascari Chicane at Monza or the old Hockenheim! The teams are going to have to work on the bikes so they nail those sections.
And finally, here’s how I view the track after driving it in a car today: start/finish till after Turn 6 is like Misano. Then, from just after Turn 6 till Turn 10 is like the chicanes at the old Hockenheim or Ascari at Monza. From just after Turn 10 through to just after Turn 14 is like Sepang, and then the last section really reminds me of the final part of Argentina’s Termas de Rio Hondo. My first impression of the track is mega!