Everything to know about the Grand Prix of Indonesia, including Mandalika circuit stats and previous winners

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MotoGP revived the Grand Prix of Indonesia (also known as the Indonesian GP) after a 24-year hiatus in 2022 to recognise one of the series’ biggest markets in the world.

Despite the dominance of Japanese teams, like Honda and Yamaha, plus Italian and Spanish riders, such as Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez, very few markets are more important for MotoGP than Indonesia. It is estimated that one-quarter of its population follows the series.

No country has a higher percentage of MotoGP fans than Indonesia, with only India coming close. So, more and more Indonesian brands have become sponsors for teams and of riders in recent years. MotoGP even revived the Indonesian Grand Prix with a round at Mandalika.

What is the Mandalika International Circuit like?

MotoGP riders often have to overcome high levels of dust plus gravel during the Indonesian Grand Prix at the Mandalika International Circuit since 2022. The track is only used for a few events each year beyond the world championship staging MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 races.

Heavy braking points are at a minimum, with only Turns 1 and 10 requiring riders to haul on the anchors. The rest of the track is largely fast and flowing, with teams needing to set their bikes up to be able to carry pace through the quick changes of directions for the perfect lap.

One-time 500cc Grand Prix winner Simon Crafar sees parts of numerous other iconic tracks in Mandalika. He noted in 2022: “Start/finish ‘til after Turn 6 is like Misano. Then, from just after Turn 6 ‘til 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!”

Winners of the MotoGP Grand Prix of Indonesia

Below, MotoGP News has listed every premier class rider to win the Indonesian Grand Prix…

History of the MotoGP Grand Prix of Indonesia

While a high percentage of Indonesia’s population follows MotoGP, the nation in Southeast Asia and Oceania only enjoyed a brief presence on the 500cc world championship calendar until the premier class visited the Mandalika International Circuit in round two of the 2022 term.

The 500cc class paid just two visits to the Sentul International Circuit in 1996 and 1997 after agreeing to stage the inaugural Indonesian Grand Prix. It then took 25 years until a MotoGP bike took the start of a Grand Prix in Indonesia again, but it marked the start of a key round.

MotoGP and various promoters made multiple attempts to revive the Indonesian GP before the Mandalika Bay event first took place in 2022. Plans to build a new circuit or upgrade the series’ 500cc era home at Sentul – in a prime location for local fans – all failed to materialise.

Yet whilst MotoGP recognises the importance of the Indonesian market, few of the nation’s two-wheeled racing fans are regularly able to attend the Grand Prix at Mandalika. The price of a ticket for the Indonesian GP and location on Lombok Island are difficult for many locals.

Sentul was not a viable option for MotoGP as the circuit required extensive work to be able to stage the Indonesian GP again. But being just outside the capital city of Jakarta, local fans might have stood a greater chance of attending than visiting the tourist island of Mandalika.

Tadayuki Okada denied Mick Doohan for his first 500cc win at the 1997 Indonesian Grand Prix

With MotoGP unable to return to Sentul to revive the Indonesian Grand Prix in 2022, Honda have the honour of their bikes winning every edition of the round during its spell as a 500cc race. Mick Doohan and Tadayuki Okada won Honda the Indonesian GP in 1996 and in 1997.

Doohan also dominated the debut running of the Indonesian Grand Prix in 1996 en route to the third of the Australian’s five consecutive 500cc world championship titles. It was also his first of eight wins in 1996, with Doohan also scoring pole position and setting the fastest lap.

Okada was not as dominant as Doohan at the final running of the Indonesian GP at Sentul in 1997 yet the Japanese pilot still scored Honda the win and the fastest lap. Doohan took pole position once more but crossed the finish line only 0.069 seconds behind his Honda partner.

Pole position meant Doohan could control the early stages after fending off a brief challenge from fellow Honda teammate Alex Criville at the start. Okada soon joined the pair, as Honda comfortably led one-two-three at Sentul, and put the champion under pressure once in P2.

Criville seldom managed to show Doohan a wheel yet Okada wasted little time once clear of the Spaniard to attack the Australian, taking the lead with 23 laps to go. The Japanese star’s speed once in the lead even forced Doohan to react, and the pair quickly left Criville behind.

It took Doohan nine laps to respond with a move of his own, yet Okada would not just yield and hung on whilst the champion tried in vain to stretch clear. It meant Okada was in range to lunge back for the lead on the penultimate lap with the ideal run on Doohan into Turn 3.

Teammates or not, losing the lead fired Doohan up to lift Okada out of the way turning in for T6. He sensed a door open after the Japanese rider ran slightly deep on the brakes. But their small bit of contact showed Okada the gloves were off, so he engaged a fierce final lap fight.

Okada had the run on Doohan out of the Turn 2 left-hander on most laps, so again got a run on the Australian for the lead into T3. But the Australian was not going to yield and he flew back past on the brakes for T6. So, Okada left it until the last turn to win his first 500cc race.

Miguel Oliveira won the inaugural Indonesian Grand Prix at Mandalika with KTM in 2022

Honda’s demise in the early 2020s ensured the Japanese crew did not find another home at the Mandalika International Circuit as MotoGP revived the Indonesian Grand Prix. Instead, a KTM Factory Racing rider would get the first premier class victory on Lombok Island in 2022.

Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo stunned to secure pole position in front of four Ducatis and a KTM in the top six. The Frenchman even lapped Mandalika 0.213 seconds quicker than Jorge Martin of Pramac to get the first pole position of the revived Indonesian Grand Prix in 2022.

Yet heavy rain met the riders on race day for another challenge at a new circuit. Quartararo initially coped with the conditions to lead from the grid, but KTM’s Miguel Oliveira adapted the best to rise from P7 on the grid into P3 within the first few hundred metres of the race.

Second place was even Oliveira’s into Turn 1 and the Portuguese soon had his eyes fixed on Quartararo – a wait that only lasted until the end of the first lap. Yet Ducati rider Jack Miller ensured the KTM pilot would not have it all his own way and quickly slid past to lead on L2.

Oliveira was not prepared to let his chance to win the inaugural Indonesian GP at Mandalika slip through his fingers, though. So, he rallied and passed Miller back on L5 of 20 and hastily pulled clear. It would be the move that won Oliveira the race, with Miller slipping back to P4.